-- FOR SEVERAL DAYS, WE HAVE BEEN WRITING ON WYBORCZA.BIZ THAT THE NEW GOVERNMENT IS UTILIZING CHANGES IN THE LAW INTRODUCED BY THE POLISH DEAL - LESZEK KOSTRZEWSKI IN GW: “The provisions on controlling Poles’ bank accounts were introduced by PiS. Experts point to one of the points in the law which states that the tax office can scrutinize our bank accounts without informing us at all. A court permit is sufficient. What will Donald Tusk and his coalition partners do with the new regulations? For several days, we have been writing on Wyborcza.biz that the new government is using changes in the law introduced by the Polish Deal.” https://wyborcza.biz/biznes/7,177151,31165589,skarbowka-kontroluje-konta-bankowe-przedsiebiorcow-i-osob-prywatnych.html -- FUEL PRICES UP BY 40–50 GROSZY PER LITER, GAS BILLS UP BY A QUARTER, AND COAL EVEN MORE. THIS COULD BE THE MARKET AT THE BEGINNING OF 2027 - PAWEŁ ROCHOWICZ IN RZ: https://www.rp.pl/konsumenci/art40859211-kierowcy-i-posiadacze-piecow-grzewczych-dostana-mocno-po-kieszeni -- NEW EMISSION FEES WILL HIT POLES' POCKETS BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT LEARNING FROM MISTAKES - BARTŁOMIEJ SAWICKI IN RZ: “Instead of seeking ideas on how to implement this directive into Polish law and alleviate rising fees by reducing other taxes, the Polish government is talking about the possibility of postponing this system to future years or obtaining a derogation. The problem will be all the more acute because in 2027, when ETS2 is set to come into effect, Poland will be in the heat of an election campaign.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art40859051-bartlomiej-sawicki-nowe-oplaty-od-emisji-uderza-polakow-po-kieszeni-bo-rzad-nie-uczy-sie-na-bledach -- TUSK COULD HAVE PRESSED HARDER ON THE ABORTION ISSUE. IT WAS A POLITICAL DECISION - MAGDALENA CHRZCZONOWICZ IN OKO.PRESS: “The Prime Minister claims he could not have done any more. I disagree. Of course, Kosiniak-Kamysz is currently stubborn and self-assured. I'm not saying he would have settled for anything less to change his mind on abortion. However, I propose that Tusk – even though he wanted the bill to pass through the Sejm, I don't deny him that desire – ultimately chose political calm within the coalition. He prioritized something else – the well-being of political arrangements – over the interests of his voters.” -- WHILE TUSK WORRIES, GRIEVES, AND LAMENTS, KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ IS EXPANDING HIS INFLUENCE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM - CONTINUES CHRZCZONOWICZ IN OKO: “While Donald Tusk worries, grieves, and laments, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz is expanding his influence on the right side of the political spectrum. The strain on the coalition does not sadden him; on the contrary, he very strongly argues that maintaining the support of his own voters is more important to him than this coalition – which, incidentally, should be an alarm bell for Prime Minister Tusk.” -- ROMAN GIERTYCH, WHOM TUSK SPOKE WARMLY ABOUT, WAS SOMEHOW LESS AFFECTED - CONTINUES CHRZCZONOWICZ IN OKO: “Somehow Roman Giertych, who sat out the vote by abstaining, was less affected. (...) So, the consequences are graduated. Although Giertych was not a minister and thus could not be dismissed, he avoided public reprimand. On the contrary, he even received a treat from Tusk as consolation.” -- MUST THE COALITION LOSE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO UNDERSTAND THAT "WOMEN'S ISSUES" ARE HUMAN ISSUES? - CHRZCZONOWICZ'S CONCLUSION IN OKO.PRESS: https://oko.press/aborcja-tusk-mogl-nacisnac-mocniej -- "IN PO, TUSK'S WILL IS ABOVE ANY OTHER AGREEMENTS." KAMIŃSKI ON THE "PROTECTIVE UMBRELLA" OVER GIERTYCH - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/07/25 -- GIERTYCH, RETURN YOUR MANDATE! - JACEK ŻAKOWSKI IN GW: “There is no justification for Giertych's perfidious behavior. The situation is simple. He promised to resign his mandate if he broke discipline. He broke it. Now he's cornered. His continued presence in the Sejm cannot be reconciled with the principles of trust and accountability, without which democracy cannot function.” -- IT IS THIS DISAPPOINTED GROUP, BY REMAINING AT HOME, THAT CAN DECIDE WHO WILL BE ANDRZEJ DUDA'S SUCCESSOR. DEFENDING GIERTYCH IS NOT WORTH SUCH A RISK - CONTINUES ŻAKOWSKI IN GW: “If Giertych does not resign his mandate now and remains a Member of Parliament with Tusk's approval, who vouched for him publicly, then next year, a portion of voters will not trust not only Donald Tusk but any KO candidate for president. It is this disappointed group, by remaining at home, that can decide who will be Andrzej Duda's successor. Defending Giertych is not worth such a risk.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,31169383,giertych-oddaj-mandat.html -- NO MATTER WHAT POLITICIANS SAY, WE WILL STILL HAVE ABORTIONS - AGNIESZKA WIŚNIEWSKA IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “And I also know that regardless of the words and actions of politicians, they will not destroy the society of women. In fact, I will make a bold claim that the more politicians disappoint women, the more they will organize and support each other.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/cokolwiek-beda-opowiadac-politycy-my-i-tak-bedziemy-robic-aborcje/ -- THE INSTABILITY OF THE RULING COALITION IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR POLITICAL HUNTERS. ALL OF PSL AND INDIVIDUAL MPS ARE ALREADY RECEIVING PROPOSALS TO FORM A NEW PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY - DOMINIKA DŁUGOSZ IN NEWSWEEK: “It is known that for now the threat is very theoretical, but there is so much tension in the coalition that it is unclear where this is heading. (...) Each of the 24 PSL MPs who voted against the amendment has already received an invitation for 'joint time spent' from a PiS politician.” -- THE LUDOWCY (PSL) KNOW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT IS BENEFICIAL FOR THEM. ROCKING THE BOAT CAN SOMETIMES BE PROFITABLE. BUT OVERTURNING IT WILL CERTAINLY NOT BENEFIT ANYONE - DŁUGOSZ'S CONCLUSION: https://www.newsweek.pl/opinie/napiecie-w-koalicji-rosnie-a-pis-kusi-psl-kazdy-dostal-propozycje/38rebwb -- WILL BODNAR TURN ROMANOWSKI INTO A MARTYR? - TOMASZ PIETRYGA IN RZ: “In summary, if Romanowski, who faces 11 serious prosecutorial charges, is arrested, the government will win the battle and signal to its electorate that it is unyielding on accountability. At the same time, however, it will create a martyr, for whom not only the opposition but also international institutions are advocating.” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-prawne/art40858861-tomasz-pietryga-czy-adam-bodnar-zrobi-z-marcina-romanowskiego-meczennika -- VERIFICATION, ESPECIALLY IN A SITUATION WHERE NO VERIFICATION OF JUDGES PRESIDING DURING THE COMMUNIST PERIOD WAS CONDUCTED, WILL WIDELY OPEN THE DOOR FOR POLITICIANS TO MAKE THE JUDICIARY DEPENDENT - FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT PROF. MAŁGORZATA MANOWSKA IN AN INTERVIEW WITH TOMASZ PIETRYGA IN RZ: “There are, of course, also good solutions in it, but the law is not well-developed. The most important question is – what next? Because introducing specific rules to the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) must serve a purpose, and if it were to serve the universal verification of judges in the future, then there is no consent for that. Verification, especially in a situation where no verification of judges who ruled during the communist period was conducted, will widely open the door for politicians to make the judiciary dependent, and what's worse, this would happen with the participation of the judges themselves.” -- WE ARE INEVITABLY HEADING TOWARDS A SITUATION SIMILAR TO THAT IN UKRAINE, WHERE DUE TO THE CONFLICT SURROUNDING THE KRS THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF JUDICIAL VACANCIES - CONTINUES MANOWSKA WITH PIETRYGA IN RZ: “This has significant implications for citizens. We are inevitably heading towards a situation similar to that in Ukraine, where due to the conflict surrounding the KRS there are thousands of judicial vacancies. In Poland, changes to the KRS alone are not enough. This is a very deep conflict, in which foreign courts were also involved. Systemic, comprehensive solutions are needed, but to achieve this, consensus is necessary, which cannot be reached if the parties do not want to talk to each other.” -- USING ITS OWN REGULATIONS, IT REMOVES JUDGES FROM ADJUDICATING CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF CASES IN COMMON COURTS - MANOWSKA FURTHER STATES TO PIETRYGA IN RZ: “I did not expect such actions from a former Ombudsman, who, for example, through his own regulations, removes judges from adjudicating certain categories of cases in common courts.” https://www.rp.pl/sady-i-trybunaly/art40861551-malgorzata-manowska-juz-nigdy-nie-beda-nas-szanowac -- THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE JUDICIARY CAN STILL DAMAGE THE JUDICIARY BY NOMINATING NEOS-JUDGES. AND CONFLICTS IN THE COURTS HAVE INTENSIFIED - EWA SIEDLECKA IN POLITYKA: “The non-Constitutional Tribunal will likely also question the validity of the neo-KRS's termination after the Council is appointed according to new rules. Because the gene of destruction, once introduced into the system, multiplies and mutates infinitely. This does not mean the problem should be ignored. Besides legal and practical considerations, there are also moral ones. A situation where evil goes unpunished, and careerists who – at the expense of their colleagues – took advantage of the opportunity for advancement in exchange for political services – retain their unjustly acquired profits, is bad, unjust, and demoralizing.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/2264359,1,krajowa-rada-sadownictwa-nadal-niszczy-i-dzieli-za-chwile-wybuchna-kolejne-podlozone-miny.read?src=mt -- THE CLAIM THAT SOMEONE DECEIVED SOMEONE ELSE SPEAKS MORE ABOUT A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF POLISH POLITICS. OR IGNORANCE OF ORDINARY PARLIAMENTARY ARITHMETIC - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “But Trzecia Droga has been saying something else from the beginning. Polska 2050 advocated for a referendum, while PSL, which voted against the depenalization of abortion two weeks ago, has not hidden its conservatism during the campaign. The claim that someone deceived someone else speaks more about a misunderstanding of Polish politics. Or ignorance of ordinary parliamentary arithmetic, which no amount of vulgarity will change. Or about living in illusions.” -- CREATING THE ILLUSION THAT ABORTION LAWS CAN BE CHANGED WAS THE COALITION'S BIGGEST MISTAKE - CONTINUES SZUŁDRZYŃSKI: “Of course, the question of who is responsible for this 'illusion' is a separate one. And whether creating it was not the coalition's biggest mistake to date since October 15th.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art40858731-michal-szuldrzynski-krzykiem-i-przeklenstwami-prawa-aborcyjnego-sie-nie-zmieni -- HANNA KRALL IN A JOINT CONVERSATION WITH FR. ADAM BONIECKI IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY: “It was like this: the Pope stood in front of me, you were behind my back. 'Your Holiness, this is Hanna Krall,' you introduced me. The Pope: 'Aha.' You added: 'The author of "Zdążyć przed Panem Bogiem" (To Catch Up With God).' The Pope: 'Aha.' Then I said – I wrote for 'Tygodnik' about Karol Wojtyła's 'Calendar of Life.' The Pope: 'Ahaaaa...!! She wrote well. Especially well about Boniecki.' To which I replied: 'Not badly about the Pope either.' The Pope: 'Eh, she wrote better about Boniecki.' And he added: 'Father Boniecki knows more about me than I know about myself.' That's how it was, right?” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/boniecki-i-krall-przyjazn-na-cale-zycie-187679 -- BIRTHDAYS: Fr. Adam Boniecki (90!), Anne Applebaum, Krzysztof Truskolaski.