-- THE PORTAL XYZ.PL, a project by Grzegorz Nawacki supported by Rafał Brzoska, has launched, led by a presidential interview with Radosław Sikorski. The initial content launch was made possible by support from entities including Mastercard, the PZU Foundation, Santander, BNP Paribas, and Provident. -- TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS, WE NEED SOMEONE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE WHO WILL FULLY STRIVE TO RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW AND HOLD THE PIS GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE, BECAUSE THERE IS PLENTY TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR. Someone who acts in the interest of all Poles, and does not turn the Presidential Palace into the last bastion of PiS, – stated Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski in an interview for XYZ, in conversation with Rafał Mrowicki. https://xyz.pl/sikorski-urzad-prezydenta-powinien-byc-wazniejszy-wywiad/ -- PAWEŁ GRAŚ, HEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CHANCELLERY, APPEARED AT SIEMONIACK'S CONSULTATIONS WITH THE UKRAINIAN MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS IN KRAKÓW: https://x.com/filip_zegota/status/1848427057665216838 -- IT'S A TRULY SMALL LEAD, BELOW THE MARGIN OF ERROR, SO PERHAPS PIŚ HAS SLIGHTLY BETTER RESULTS? - AGNIESZKA KUBLIK IN GW DESCRIBES THE OPINIA24 POLL: “It would be different than a year ago. Now, Civic Coalition would win the most votes – 33.3%. Next is PiS with 32.4%. This is a truly small lead, below the margin of error, so perhaps PiS has slightly better results? Then a long, long gap, because the third result is only 12.2% and it belongs to Confederation. A year ago, the Third Way was in third place with 14.4%. Confederation received 7.2% in 2023. It's clear that over the year, the Third Way has lost a lot of voters, they simply weren't loyal, and a year ago they supported this coalition of PSL and Poland 2050 at the last minute, ensuring that the entire democratic opposition defeated Kaczyński's camp.” -- OUR ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT CIVIC COALITION WOULD WIN THE ELECTIONS, BUT THE PIŚ-CONFEDERATION COALITION WOULD HAVE A MAJORITY - KUBLIK FURTHER IN GW: “Our estimates indicated that Civic Coalition would win the elections, but the PiS with Confederation coalition would have a majority. And so, Civic Coalition could count on 185 seats (28 more than in the 2023 elections), and PiS on 188 (six fewer). But this is the only good news for the October 15th Coalition. The Third Way would suffer huge losses, gaining only 23 seats (as many as 42 fewer than a year ago), and the Left with 10 seats (16 fewer). The biggest winner in our poll was Confederation – gaining 54 seats, as many as 36 more than in the last elections.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,31402859,sondaz-opinia24-najwiekszy-wygrany-zajmuje-trzecie-miejsce.html -- ELECTORATE SHIFTS: CONFEDERATION IS MOVING TO THE COUNTRYSIDE - ANDRZEJ MACHOWSKI IN GW: “In terms of the percentage of rural voters in its electorate, Confederation is today the most rural party in Poland.” -- CONFEDERATION HAS JUST ADVANCED TO THE SECOND LEAGUE - MACHOWSKI CONTINUES: “After a long time playing in the third league – which is for parties with support not exceeding 10% – Confederation, with its current ratings of 11-12 percent, has just advanced to the second. And it owes this to its stronger position in the countryside than before.” -- MACHOWSKI DOUBTS WHETHER CONFEDERATION HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE FIRST LEAGUE - HE WRITES FURTHER IN GW: “Support for Confederation among men is still about 2.5 times higher than among women. Just as before, men still constitute as much as 70% of this party's supporters. And in the history of Polish elections, it has never happened that a party strongly supported by men, but equally strongly rejected by women, gained over twenty percent support.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,31402114,przeplywy-elektoratu-konfederacja-przeprowadza-sie-na-wies.html -- SAWICKI: MENTZEN WILL NOT BE CONFEDERATION'S CANDIDATE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/10/22/ -- THE POLITICAL MOOD COULD CHANGE BY 180 DEGREES - PRZEMYSŁAW SZUBARTOWICZ IN INTERIA: “If, in the spring of 2025, voters have the impression that the infectious season has hit them with an inefficient system, and the government fails to create a shield against high bills, the political mood could change by 180 degrees. And if, in addition, President Trump is in power again in the United States, the PiS candidate will gain additional propaganda support and international cover.” -- SOME ARE ALREADY COUNTING THEIR CHICKENS - SZUBARTOWICZ FURTHER IN INTERIA: “Some are already counting their chickens, but Tusk is likely aware that to even think about a sure presidential victory, whoever the candidate may be, the ministries of health and climate must be managed perfectly, bursting with daring ideas, and offering quick and effective solutions.” https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/felietony/news-skora-na-niedzwiedziu,nId,7839923 -- DO WE WANT TO DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST PUTIN'S RUSSIA? THEN WE CANNOT FORGET ABOUT SCIENTIFIC PRESENCE IN THE ARCTIC - ADAM WAJRAK IN GW: “The research vessel 'Oceania' is not just about science. It's about our strategic interest. (...) It's great that funds have been found to maintain 'Oceania', but the government should immediately start a program to build or purchase a modern research vessel to replace this brave and seasoned veteran.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75400,31402914,przy-marnych-wydatkach-na-nauke-w-polsce-obronnosc-jest-pustym.html -- THE DRAFT LAW ON PARTNERSHIP UNIONS AIMS TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THE LEFT-WING ELECTORATE AND ASPIRATIONAL SOCIAL GROUPS. BUT IT IS ALSO A RESPONSE TO THE EARLIER FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL MIGRATION - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “they signal to aspiring voters that the coalition is still following trends.” https://www.rp.pl/spoleczenstwo/art41326351-michal-szuldrzynski-co-maja-wspolnego-zwiazki-partnerskie-z-zawieszeniem-prawa-do-azylu -- IF 800+ IS WITHDRAWN, THE EXTREME POVERTY OF CHILDREN WILL CERTAINLY RISE – COMMENTS PROF. RYSZARD SZARFENBERG FOR OKO.PRESS IN AN INTERVIEW WITH JAKUB SZYMCZAK: “The actual increase in extreme poverty among children between 2022 and 2023 concerned approximately 125,000 people. According to my estimates, without the 500+ program, we would have had about 220,000 more children in extreme poverty in 2023. That is, in total, there would have been 720,000 extremely poor children.” https://oko.press/wycofanie-800-to-zgoda-na-wzrost-ubostwa -- BIRTHDAYS: Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, Anna Plakwicz, Marek Krząkała, Michał Rachoń.