-- COVID-19 HAS MADE ITSELF KNOWN AGAIN. MANY INFECTIONS IN THE COUNTRY. THE PEAK OF THE CURRENT WAVE IN OCTOBER? - SŁAWOMIR ZAGÓRSKI IN OKO.PRESS: “Officially, there are few infections. The latest data from the ministry indicates about 1200 daily infections. However, we should multiply this number by 10. Sadly, there are also deaths. On August 21, 2024, 5 deaths were recorded. There is no home-treatment medication. We are also awaiting new vaccines.” https://oko.press/covid-19-znow-o-sobie-przypomnial -- FROM OKO.PRESS CONVERSATIONS, IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS INCREASINGLY AWARE THAT HOLDING LAW AND JUSTICE ACCOUNTABLE IS CEASING TO BE FUEL - AGATA SZCZĘŚNIAK IN OKO.PRESS: “From conversations within OKO.press, it is clear that there is a growing awareness in the government that holding Law and Justice accountable is no longer sufficient fuel to maintain the ruling coalition's support. Especially the Third Way (a coalition of Poland 2050 and PSL) and the Left are demanding laws they promised their voters. However, the most pressing and urgent issue is the agreement on the budget. The government must send the budget for 2025 to the Sejm by the end of September. And there is still no agreement on what the budget should look like.” -- AS OKO.PRESS LEARNS, HOŁOWNIA WENT TO THURSDAY'S LEADERS' COALITION MEETING WITH A PROPOSAL: LET THE MONEY RESERVED FOR THE 0% CREDIT GO TOWARDS COMPENSATION FOR THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AS PART OF THE CONTRIBUTION REFORM - SZCZĘŚNIAK CONTINUES: “The hottest issue dividing the coalition today is the possible reduction of the health contribution. As OKO.press learns, the leader of Poland 2050, Szymon Hołownia, went to the meeting with a proposal to resolve the conflict surrounding the health contribution and housing. If his proposal were adopted, the head of Poland 2050 would kill two birds with one stone.” https://oko.press/news-oko-press-skladka-zdrowotna -- THE DEMAGOGIC ESCALATION OF POLAND 2050 - JAKUB SZYMCZAK AND BARTOSZ KOCEJKO IN OKO.PRESS: “Hołownia's party desperately wants to lower the contribution, but has no idea how to compensate the healthcare system for the loss of these funds. Not long ago, Poland 2050 wanted to increase the contribution and increase healthcare spending. They abandoned this plan in favor of unbridled demagoguery.” -- HOŁOWNIA IS TURNING INTO JANUSZ - SZYMCZAK AND KOCEJKO CONTINUE IN OKO.PRESS: “Szymon is turning into Janusz here – we will leave it to the readers' assessment whether he resembles the dean of Polish 'liberals' more, or perhaps a hero of memes and anecdotes, a typical 'business Janusz'. https://oko.press/holownia-skladka-zdrowotna-nikogo-nie-leczy -- IN THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT AFTER THE FALL OF COMMUNISM, ONE IN FIVE MINISTERS WAS A PROFESSOR. IN THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT AFTER THE FALL OF PIS, THERE IS ONE PROFESSOR - JACEK ŻAKOWSKI IN GW: “In the first democratic government after the fall of communism, one in five ministers was a professor. In the first democratic government after the fall of PiS, there is one professor. This difference reflects the change in the relationship between politicians (i.e., the ruling elite) and the world of science (i.e., the knowledge elite). In essence, it's about the relationship between knowledge and power in politics (not only Polish). The problem is that politics increasingly expresses the beliefs, impressions, emotions, and will of politicians (partly also voters), and less and less the knowledge of the world and rational ways to influence reality.” -- THE MORE COMPLEX THE WORLD, THE LESS WILLING POLITICAL POWER IS TO DRAW ON SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, AND THE MORE WILLING IT IS TO USE PR TRICKS - ŻAKOWSKI CONTINUES IN GW: “The paradox is that the more complex the world becomes, the less willing political power is to draw on scientific knowledge, and the more willing it is to resort to PR tricks that provide temporary popularity.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,31245243,wladza-i-wiedza-dlaczego-rzadzacy-nie-sluchaja-ekspertow.html -- TERRORIST RENTS: WE OPEN THE ENVELOPE OR EMAIL AND CAN'T BELIEVE OUR EYES - CEZARY KOWANDA IN TYGODNIK POLITYKA: “Communities and cooperatives must seek all, even the smallest, methods of saving and rationalizing expenses. Because no statutory limitation of all operating fees can be counted on. Bills of horror await not only in resorts but also in mailboxes upon returning from vacation.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/rynek/2267595,1,czysze-grozy-otwieramy-koperte-lub-maila-i-nie-wierzymy-wlasnym-oczom-kto-za-to-odpowiada.read -- TUSK HAS WITHHELD THE NOMINATION DECISION, WHICH HAS TRIGGERED A LANDSLIDE OF SPECULATION ABOUT HIS OWN AMBITIONS RELATED TO THE HIGHEST OFFICE. THUS, TRZASKOWSKI'S SUMMER PLAN HAS BEEN BLOCKED - RAFAŁ KALUKIN IN TYGODNIK POLITYKA: “Tusk has withheld the decision on the nomination, which has triggered a landslide of speculation about his own ambitions related to the highest office. Thus, Trzaskowski's summer plan has been blocked. During the recent anniversary celebrations of the Uprising, the Prime Minister was mainly visible in public media, which people of the Mayor of Warsaw sometimes complained about. (...) after the latest wave of media reports, Tusk's inaugural debate with Trzaskowski will undoubtedly capture public attention. But will it fully clarify the hitherto convoluted landscape? -- THERE CAN ALWAYS BE SOME 'HIGHER NECESSITIES' - KALUKIN CONTINUES: “This should extinguish speculation about Tusk's candidacy for now, although in politics there are no such declarations from which one cannot later withdraw. There can always be some 'higher necessities'. -- CONFUSED VOTERS HAD THE RIGHT TO BELIEVE THAT TUSK SUFFERS FROM EXCESSIVE PERSONAL AMBITIONS - KALUKIN CONTINUES IN TYGODNIK POLITYKA: “One way or another, it didn't help the prime minister. Confused voters had the right to believe that Tusk suffers from excessive personal ambitions and is not guided by the interest of the entire camp. Or – worse – he foresaw the symptoms of his camp's future defeat and decided to evacuate to a safe haven on Krakowskie Przedmieście. A bit like when he 'fled' to Brussels.” -- IT IS WORTH BEING AWARE OF POLITICS' UNPREDICTABILITY AND NOT CLINGING TO SUPPOSEDLY SETTLED SCENARIOS - RAFAŁ KALUKIN WRITES FURTHER: “A successful progressive Kamala Harris would be a strong incentive to bet on the Mayor of Warsaw. But Trump's victory would increase geopolitical uncertainty, which could strengthen the PiS candidate, legitimize Sikorski's ambitions, or create an impulse for the coalition to close ranks under the Tusk banner. Therefore, it is worth being aware of politics' unpredictability and not clinging to supposedly settled scenarios.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/2267601,1,trzaskowski-sikorski-a-moze-tusk--kto-na-prezydenta--kulisy-tej-decyzji-to-zagmatwany-pejzaz.read -- AS THE CITY GOVERNOR, TRZASKOWSKI IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SITUATION IN THE CAPITAL, HENCE MANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM - JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: “As the city governor, Rafał Trzaskowski is responsible for the situation in the capital, hence many questions for him. Did the city services, knowing the weather forecast, adequately prepare for the downpour? What is the condition of the water and sewage systems? Is the water pumping carried out correctly? Were sufficient funds allocated to solve the crisis? Is the city preparing a compensation package for those affected? And how long will they have to wait for support?” -- NIZINKIEWICZ ON QUESTIONS FOR PIS - CONTINUES IN RZ: “There are more questions, especially since with the worsening climate, we can expect a repeat soon. However, playing politics with tragedy is unacceptable. The S8 route is not a city road, it is part of a national road. During PiS rule, the S8 was also flooded. Not much has changed. What was done over eight years under PiS rule to prevent the S8 from flooding?” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-polityczno-spoleczne/art40999721-jacek-nizinkiewicz-pis-za-deszcz-wini-trzaskowskiego-i-zapomina-jak-to-bylo-gdy-samo-rzadzilo -- FRIDAY'S POLITICAL AGENDA: START OF THE 4TH EDITION OF THE CAMPUS WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF TUSK AND TRZASKOWSKI, PIS DEPUTIES' CONFERENCE IN FRONT OF THE ORLEN HEADQUARTERS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/08/23/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Antoni Mężydło, Radosław Gawlik, Marian Krzaklewski, Waldemar Dąbrowski, Marek Tałasiewicz, Lech Garlicki, Michał Potocki.