— JAN RULEWSKI, A HERO OF THE FIGHT AGAINST THE COMMUNIST REGIME, TURNS 81 TODAY.

— BALCEROWICZ: A PATHETIC STATEMENT FROM THE FINANCE MINISTER, “WE HAVE A CONTINUATION OF PISISM.” BALCEROWICZ ON THE ECONOMIC POLICY OF THE TUSK GOVERNMENT – 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2025/04/18

— MAKE THE WEST GREAT AGAIN – MELONI ANNOUNCES TRUMP'S VISIT TO ROME: https://x.com/GiorgiaMeloni/status/1912980105141305784

— A SUCCESSFUL MISSION FOR MELONI? – ANDRZEJ KUBLIK IN GW: “After meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President Donald Trump said he would conclude a new trade agreement with the EU. He also announced that he would sign a raw materials agreement with Ukraine in a week. The key words here are: he promised and announced.”
https://wyborcza.biz/biznes/7,177151,31866974,trump-gotow-na-umowe-handlowa-z-ue-udana-misja-meloni.html

— A CADASTRAL TAX COULD BE AN EXCELLENT TOOL FOR DISPOSSESSING ORDINARY POLES WHO STILL HAVE SOMETHING – KRZYSZTOF BOSAK WITH GRZEGORZ SROCZYŃSKI ON GAZETA.PL: “Mr. Editor, I assume that everyone in Poland fears a cadastral tax like fire, and I will not be drawn into any positive considerations about a cadastral tax, because in my opinion it could be an excellent tool for dispossessing ordinary Poles.”
https://x.com/DawidParzyk/status/1912783028348141922

— SE: TRZASKOWSKI DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM TUSK'S WORDS: “– I really dislike the term 'fighting democracy' because it very often suggests that democracy is about fighting. We managed to win the elections in 2023, and today we need 'engaged democracy,' a democracy of dialogue, conversation, which excludes no one, in which no one will snatch national symbols from each other – admitted the Mayor of Warsaw.”
https://www.se.pl/wybory/prezydenckie/trzaskowski-odcina-sie-od-slow-tuska-bardzo-nie-lubie-aa-cKUn-gZAT-4Cqw.html
— Pollster Poll for SE:
TRZASKOWSKI
 55%(-2)
NAWROCKI
 45% (+2)

TRZASKOWSKI
 62% (-4)
HOŁOWNIA
 38% (+4)

TRZASKOWSKI
 54% (-1)
MENTZEN
 46% (+1)
https://www.se.pl/wybory/prezydenckie/trzaskowski-najblizej-palacu-zobacz-jak-moze-wygladac-druga-tura-wyborow-mamy-najswiezsze-badania-aa-wf7E-MHA4-csFG.html
— HOŁOWNIA HAS A GREATER CHANCE OF DEFEATING NAWROCKI, SO WE WILL COMPETE – MICHAŁ KAMIŃSKI ON YOUTUBE: “Platforma will release us from loyalty, are we to allow a candidate with smaller chances against PiS than our candidate to enter the second round? Today's news, with which people are leaving for the holidays, is fatal for Trzaskowski. If Trzaskowski loses the election, not only will Tusk not corner the coalition partners, but he himself will be cornered. Tusk and PO's only chance to avoid falling into a black hole will be the mercy of the coalition partners. It is Tusk's decision to have three coalition candidates, because it was claimed that Trzaskowski had 70% support only to sideline Sikorski. At Polish tables, people will sit down and ask how someone who 'cringes' before TV Republika and Raczoń does not 'cringe' before Putin?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbwSIKvV-B4

— GENERALLY, THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE LEADER DOES NOT ATTACK. THE LEADER ALLOWS THEMSELVES TO BE ATTACKED IN SUCH A WAY THAT AT MOST SOME COUNTER-ATTACKS ARE INTRODUCED – PROF. JAROSŁAW FLIS IN CONVERSATION WITH FAKT: “Generally, the assumption is that the leader does not attack. The leader allows themselves to be attacked in such a way that at most some counter-attacks are introduced. In the sense that they deflect the ball without aggression. And this is the basic strategy of a leader in any election. At least, it should be. If the leader attacks, as PiS did in 2023, then they often lose. Because it only means that they are not as strong as they seem – notes our interlocutor.”
https://www.fakt.pl/polityka/rekordowy-spadek-poparcia-dla-trzaskowskiego-prof-flis-wyjasnia-przyczyny/sh19s6y
— MAGDALENA BIEJAT CRITICIZES HER OWN GOVERNMENT FOR ACTIONS REGARDING PKP CARGO: https://x.com/MagdaBiejat/status/1913133181470978412

— RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED, AMONG OTHERS, BY THE DAWTONA COMPANY, THE POLSWISS ART AUCTION HOUSE, DIAGNOSTYKA, AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES – ANGELIKA PITOŃ AND MILENA KUCHNIA IN GW: “Payments from private donors, amounting to hundreds of thousands of zlotys, are often support from powerful companies. Rafała Trzaskowski is generously supported, among others, by the Dawtona company, the Polswiss Art Auction House, Diagnostyka, and development companies such as Develia. It is the KO candidate who has accumulated the most transfers of the maximum allowed amount of PLN 69,900 in his account – a total of 24.”

— KAROL NAWROCKI'S CAMPAIGN IS CONDUCTED MAINLY FROM DONATIONS – PITOŃ AND KUCHNIA FURTHER IN GW: “Karol Nawrocki has accumulated the most payments, as many as 280, in the registry. The list includes many known names: PLN 11,000 came from Daniel Obajtek, PLN 10,000 from Mariusz Kamiński, PLN 5,000 from Beata Kempa. The largest possible amount – nearly PLN 70,000 – was paid into the campaign account by Mateusz Morawiecki. The owner of the Heko company – Henryk Konieczny – also decided on such a transfer.”

— ACCORDING TO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MENTZEN'S CAMPAIGN TEAM, ALMOST 400 THOUSAND ZLOTYS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RAISED FROM THESE SMALL DONATIONS – STILL GW AUTHORS: “One must admit to Sławomir Mentzen's campaign team – although they have adopted a direct communication strategy and intend to visit every powiat in the country, they are doing so at a relatively low cost. And with solid support from local structures and party supporters.”
https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,31843617,frajerzy-zostaja-na-etatach-jak-kampania-wyborcza-rozwala-nam.html
— ABOVE ALL, THE MIDDLE CLASS IS DISAPPEARING, BILLIONAIRES PRETEND TO STAND IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE, CALLING THE PEOPLE TO DEFEND AN ECONOMIC ORDER THAT WORKS AGAINST THEIR INTERESTS – DR MARCIN GALENT, SOCIOLOGIST FROM THE JAGELLONIAN UNIVERSITY IN CONVERSATION WITH DAWID KARPIUK IN NEWSWEEK: “Above all, the middle class is disappearing. The part of it that has resources is advancing. Those who do not have them are getting poorer, being pushed down the social ladder. The feeling of uncertainty, disorientation, and injustice is becoming increasingly common. I think most people have stopped understanding who – and if anyone at all – represents their interests. Billionaires pretend to stand in the name of the people, calling the people to defend an economic order that works against their interests.”

— THESE ARE PEOPLE WITH NO CHANCE OF ACQUIRING PROPERTY THAT WOULD PROVIDE SOME STABILITY AND A SENSE THAT THERE IS A CHANCE TO REALIZE PLANS AND DREAMS – FURTHER DR GALENT WITH KARPIUK IN NEWSWEEK: “In this chaos, people will vote for anyone who pretends to be outside the system. Someone who gives them hope that the processes causing a larger part of society to fall to the level of the lower class, which owns nothing, but works hard for those who own, can be reversed. In the USA and the UK, this already affects over 50 percent of societies, and it will be even more soon. These are people with no chance of acquiring property that would provide some stability and a sense that there is a chance to realize plans and dreams. They have no chance of reducing the uncertainty that ruins their daily lives.”

— INSTEAD OF PROPERTY, WHICH THEY CANNOT AFFORD, PEOPLE ARE GIVEN THE PROMISE OF ACCESS: TO NETFLIX, A RENTED APARTMENT, OR A CAR – STILL DR GALENT WITH KARPIUK IN NEWSWEEK: “Meanwhile, instead of property, which they cannot afford, people are given the promise of access: to Netflix, a rented apartment, or a car. And they have to constantly strive for this access. More and more people think: why even enter this system at all?”

— NEW CULTURAL CODES HAVE APPEARED. FOR EXAMPLE, 'NEPO KIDS'. IF SOMEONE IS NEPO, IT IS KNOWN THAT THEY ARE THE CHILD OF INFLUENTIAL, WEALTHY PEOPLE. THIS IS THE LANGUAGE OF CLASS CONFLICT – SAYS DR GALENT FROM THE JAGELLONIAN UNIVERSITY WITH KARPIUK IN NEWSWEEK: “New cultural codes have appeared. For example, 'nepo kids.' If someone is nepo, it is known that they are the child of influential, wealthy people. Maybe they didn't have to try that hard, maybe it was easier for them. Or maybe someone has an apartment from their grandmother, an inheritance from their aunt. Nobody admits to being nepo. Five years ago, this category was not used at all. This is the language of class conflict; if it has reached the upper-middle class, it means the cracks are deepening. They are visible even at the linguistic level.”

— THE MIDDLE CLASS HAS ONLY RECENTLY STARTED TO FEEL THE PAIN, IT IS ONLY BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND THAT ANGER IS A PERMITTED, JUSTIFIED EMOTION – CONCLUSION OF DR GALENT WITH DAWID KARPIUK IN NEWSWEEK: “In Poland, we are still before a turning point. The middle class has only recently begun to feel the pain; it is only beginning to understand that anger is a permitted, justified emotion. The question is what they will do with this anger.”
https://www.newsweek.pl/polska/spoleczenstwo/klasa-srednia-posmakuje-hardkorowego-feudalizmu-panszczyzna-za-mieszkanie/feyjkve
— THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW THAT THE AUTHORITIES ARE PLANNING CUTS HERE AND THERE: AFTER THE SUDDEN INCREASE IN STORIES ABOUT THE EARNINGS OF DOCTORS, OFFICIALS, OR JUDGES, ANY GROUP THAT HAPPENS TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE CURRENT AUTHORITIES – GRZEGORZ SROCZYŃSKI ON GAZETA.PL: “Our political class deserves some collective anti-award for the lame joke about 'slaughtering entrepreneurs' (especially since Polish companies – statistically – have excellent results and are sitting on savings), but Trzaskowski managed to reach a new, unknown level of absurdity. According to him, it is good that there will be less money from contributions in the National Health Fund (NFZ) because… it will improve the quality of treatment. 'If the contribution is lowered, it will force hospitals to take a more serious and active approach to cost cutting.' Discussing a broken healthcare system that wastes money and poorly managed hospitals that will be improved by cost-cutting is a rallying cry for Polish politicians to save on public services. At the same time – regardless of who is currently in power – tales of doctors' exorbitant earnings are brought out from mothballs, following Ludwik Dorn's well-known patent: 'Show me, doctor, what you have in your garage.' This is how you know that the authorities are planning cuts here and there: after the sudden increase in stories about the earnings of doctors, officials, or judges, any group that happens to be available to the current authorities. This is a common patent of our political class whenever money is short for something.”

— I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE RULING PARTY: WHY SHOULD THE MENTIONED PROFESSIONS – TEACHER, FIREFIGHTER, CASHIER – PAY MORE THAN TWICE THE NFZ CONTRIBUTION COMPARED TO AN IT SPECIALIST ON A CIVIL LAW CONTRACT? – FURTHER SROCZYŃSKI ON GAZETA.PL: “I have a question for the ruling party: why should the mentioned professions – teacher, firefighter, cashier – pay more than TWICE the NFZ contribution compared to an IT specialist on a civil law contract? Examples are circulating on the internet and seriously enraging 12 million full-time employees. Freshly fished from the web: 'This is nice. An employee with a gross salary of 5.5 thousand will pay a contribution of PLN 428, while their boss with twice the income of 11 thousand will pay PLN 315. Do you like it?' (Arek Pisarski). You say you wanted to relieve 'florists and hairdressers,' who were crushed by PiS's 'Polish Deal.' However, a hairdresser on a civil law contract with an income of five thousand will gain PLN 105 per month, while a lawyer-consultant with an income of 50 thousand will gain two thousand zlotys per month, which is 24 thousand per year. 'What is the point?' asks me this lawyer-consultant in an SMS. 'I'm swimming in money, I lack nothing, a new car every two years, an investment apartment every five years, have the politicians gone mad to give me more?'”

— THE JOURNALISTIC ENVIRONMENT, WHICH POORLY UNDERSTANDS THE ECONOMY AND MOREOVER WORKS ON A CIVIL LAW CONTRACT, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RELAPSE OF FREE-MARKET POPULISM EQUALLY WITH POLITICIANS – FURTHER SROCZYŃSKI: “The journalistic environment, which poorly understands the economy and moreover works on a civil law contract, is responsible for the relapse of free-market populism equally with politicians, and in its own interest will repeat nonsense about 'oppressed companies' since it profits from this narrative, i.e., lower contributions and taxes. 80 percent of the famous faces you see on TV or YouTube are on civil law contracts, paying percentagewise two times less in taxes and contributions than a teacher, so – understand this, dear viewers and readers – peddling economic nonsense about taxes is our journalistic environmental interest.”
https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,31843617,frajerzy-zostaja-na-etatach-jak-kampania-wyborcza-rozwala-nam.html
— I AM PERSONALLY A SUPPORTER OF AN OPEN AND PRAGMATIC POLISH POLICY TOWARDS GERMANY, BUT ONE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE PROTECTIONIST APPROACH OF REPRESENTATIVES OF GERMAN PUBLIC OPINION DOES NOT FACILITATE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RELATIONS ON NORMAL, CIVILIZED TERMS – MAREK BUDZISZ: 
https://x.com/MBudzisz2/status/1913142772845945105
— BIRTHDAYS: Jan Rulewski.