-- ONET, JULY 24, 2024: "PRESIDENT DECLINES PARTICIPATION IN POLICE CELEBRATION. 'SHAME AND DISGRACE'." AUTHOR: ONET WIADOMOŚCI JOURNALISTS https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/prezydent-zrezygnowal-z-udzialu-w-swiecie-policji-wstyd-i-hanba/2yzgv64 *** -- THE CJEU RULED ON FRIDAY THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF SUPREME COURT JUDGES TO SIT IN TWO CHAMBERS COMPLIES WITH EU LAW. IT THEREBY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE TRANSFER OF JUDGES BETWEEN CHAMBERS OF THIS COURT BY ITS PRESIDENT, MAŁGORZATA MANOWSKA, WAS JUSTIFIED - ONET: https://www.onet.pl/informacje/onetwiadomosci/wyrok-tsue-w-sprawie-sedziow-sadu-najwyzszego-zapadla-decyzja/ces2f9y,79cfc278 -- "NO RULINGS FROM EUROPEAN COURTS HAVE LED TO THE ANNIHILATION OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE JUDICIARY AS AN ORGAN," SAID PROF. MARCIN WIĄCEK, OMBUDSMAN, ON TVN24: "No rulings from European courts have led to the annihilation of the KRS as an organ. We have different levels of defects. We can deal with an institution that was established defectively, but it fulfills its functions until appropriate legal provisions are implemented to rectify its mandate." https://www.onet.pl/informacje/newsweek/radoslaw-sikorski-premierem-to-moze-sie-okazac-koniecznoscia/rt1dx08,452ad802 -- "SOME OF THESE DISMISSED JUDGES WILL PROBABLY APPEAL TO LABOR COURTS; THERE WILL BE THOSE WHO DEEM THE MINISTER'S ACTION CONSTITUTIONAL, AND THOSE WHO DEEM IT ILLEGAL," STATES EWA SIEDLECKA ON THE TYGODNIK POLITYKA PORTAL: "The dismissal of presidents and vice-presidents bypassing what the minister deems unconstitutional law does not end the matter. Some of these dismissed individuals will probably appeal to labor courts. And these – like courts do – should apply the constitution directly. Some will likely do so, others won't. And even among those who do, there will be those who deem the minister's action constitutional, and those who deem it illegal. But the dismissal of presidents will be swift, and the court proceedings will probably take longer than Waldemar Żurek's tenure as minister. And in the end, the dismissed may not return to their positions, where others protected by their terms will already be in place, and they will have to settle for compensation for lost earnings." -- "THE CASE OF DISMISSING COURT PRESIDENTS CLEARLY SHOWS THE DILEMMA AND PARADOX OF RESTORING THE RULE OF LAW: EFFECTIVELY OR LEGALLY?" – SIEDLECKA CONTINUES: "I preface this by stating that I am not writing this to discredit the new minister's plans. I am writing because this case – the dismissal of court presidents – clearly shows the dilemma and paradox of restoring the rule of law: effectively or legally. And the relativity of the concept of legality, which can be graded and subject to the estimation and balancing of values that are protected and those that are sacrificed." https://blog.polityka.pl/siedlecka/2025/08/01/legalnie-czy-skutecznie/ -- "THE KIELCE INVESTIGATORS, WHO FOUND NO ONE GUILTY OF SLANDERING WALDEMAR ŻUREK, DID NOT COMMIT A CRIME - CONCLUDED THE DISTRICT PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN PIOTRKÓW TRYBUNALSKI," REPORTS GW: https://kielce.wyborcza.pl/kielce/7,47262,32145840,sledczy-nie-zawinili-choc-waldemar-zurek-mowil-ze-przeciez.html -- "DER SPIEGEL": DONALD TUSK HAS FAILED. "POWERLESS AND DISCOURAGED" - JACEK LEPIARZ WRITES FOR DEUTSCHE WELLE: "Two years after his success, the Prime Minister gives the impression of a politician who has failed – writes Puhl. 'The Prime Minister gives the impression of a discouraged and tired politician,' assessed the 'Spiegel' journalist. 'Tusk has worn himself out' – cites 'Der Spiegel' quoting Antoni Dudek. Puhl critically assessed Tusk's electoral maneuver, which consisted of a political 'turn to the right' to gain voter support for Rafał Trzaskowski in the provinces." https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,127561,32147680,der-spiegel-o-tusku-bezsilny-i-zniechecony-jego-skret-w.html -- "TRZASKOWSKI'S DEFEAT PLUNGED THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT CAMP INTO POLITICAL LETHARGY. MINISTER ŻUREK IS TO SHOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT GIVEN UP," WRITES JAKUB MAJMUREK IN NEWSWEEK: "As one can guess, this is precisely why Tusk appointed Żurek to the government. Trzaskowski's defeat in the presidential election plunged the entire government camp into political lethargy. Looking at its leaders, one could get the impression that they have no ideas or energy to fight the PiS, triumphant after Karol Nawrocki's victory. More than that, they seem to be just waiting for Kaczyński and Konfederacja to seize power in 2027 – if not sooner. Minister Żurek is to show that the government has not given up, that it is still capable of political offense, of forcing the other side to defend itself. He is to reassure voters that the coalition has not abandoned its mission to hold PiS accountable and restore the rule of law." -- "EVEN IN THE JUDICIAL SPHERE, VOTERS EXPECT NOT ONLY ACCOUNTABILITY FROM PIS" – MAJMUREK CONTINUES: "They also, perhaps even primarily, want the disputes over judges to finally end, legal certainty to prevail, and for the courts to simply start operating more efficiently and faster. It's good that Żurek has been talking about this second problem from the outset. It is important for the government to quickly implement changes in this area that are noticeable to citizens." -- "VOTERS EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO START ACTING EFFECTIVELY IN AREAS SUCH AS HEALTHCARE, CONSTRUCTION, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND GENERALLY THE QUALITY OF LIFE," MAJMUREK ADDS: "At the same time, for a large group of voters, the Ministry of Justice was not a top priority ministry under Ziobro, it wasn't under Bodnar, and it won't be under Żurek. These voters expect the government to start acting effectively in areas such as healthcare, construction, education, employment, and generally the quality of life, and finally, security." https://www.onet.pl/informacje/newsweek/waldemar-zurek-ostatnia-nadzieja-donalda-tuska-za-tym-tesknil-twardy-elektorat-ko/2sfk0v3,452ad802 -- "PIS IS TO CONFRONT KONFEDERACJA, NEUTRALIZE GRZEGORZ BRAUN, AND MAINTAIN ITS HEGEMONIC POSITION ON THE RIGHT," CLAIMS WITOLD GŁOWACKI ON OKO.PRESS: "Kaczyński expects his people to manage to halt the rise in Konfederacja's ratings, seize the initiative on the right, and ensure that PiS does not have to worry about having to share power too extensively with the Confederationists in the future." -- "KACZYŃSKI IS TO THINK ABOUT MENTZEN AND BRAUN, WHILE NAWROCKI IS TO FOCUS ON TUSK. THIS DIVISION OF TASKS IS TO BE OUTLINED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SWEARING-IN," WITOLD GŁOWACKI CONTINUES ON OKO: "For him, the fight against the government – daily, current, and fierce – is to be the absolute priority. While Kaczyński and his party are to rebuild PiS and fight to regain hegemony on the right, their president is to focus on the gradual further erosion of the ruling coalition's ratings." -- "IN THE PIŚ DESIGN, BRAUN IS TO BE SURROUNDED BY A SANITARY CORDON, LABELED AS A RUSSIAN INFLUENCE AGENT," GŁOWACKI ADDS ON OKO: "For the same reasons, Grzegorz Braun and his supporters are also naturally in the sights of the PiS leader. However, while Nowogrodzka has already reconciled itself to the idea of possible cooperation with Konfederacja, it is different with Braun. In PiS's plan, he is to be surrounded by a sanitary cordon, labeled as a Russian agent of influence, and consistently marginalized." -- "PIS IS TO UNDERGO ANOTHER METAMORPHOSIS ON PAR WITH THAT OF A DECADE AGO AND SHED THE STIGMA OF THE 2023 ELECTORAL DEFEAT AND EVERYTHING THAT LED TO IT," STATES GŁOWACKI: "This year, PiS intends to dedicate itself to something like a repeat of 2014-2015. That is, to organize events that would emphasize the ideological and programmatic work being done within the party and lead to the emergence of new topics in the media and public debate. This is a time when PiS is to undergo another metamorphosis on par with that of a decade ago and finally shed – like a lizard sheds its old skin – the stigma of the 2023 electoral defeat and everything that led to it." https://oko.press/pis-wczesniejsze-wybory-tak-ale-najpierw-dominacja-na-prawicy -- "AN UNPRECEDENTED DUEL AWAITS US. HE WILL BE A BOXER WHO TREATS THE PRESIDENCY AS HIS CORNER IN THE RING AND FIGHTS A DUEL WITH DONALD TUSK," WRITES ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ IN NEWSWEEK: "Therefore, we should not expect what has never been in Nawrocki's CV – political moderation and agreement with those who think differently. He will be a boxer who treats the presidency as his corner in the ring and fights a duel with Donald Tusk. He is younger, more agitated, and vengeful – they have accounts to settle reaching back to conflicts in the Lechia Gdańsk fan community, which they both support. Tusk, on the other hand, is more experienced, internationally acquainted, and has already experienced a war with a PiS president – though it was the calculable Lech Kaczyński, who, contrary to his brother's idiotic theories, did not have the nature of a hooligan from organized fights. So, an unprecedented duel awaits us." https://www.onet.pl/informacje/newsweek/w-pis-slychac-ze-karol-nawrocki-nabiera-syndromu-boga-i-wszystko-moze/wlyjdpk,452ad802 -- "SIKORSKI'S PRIME MINISTERSHIP MAY EVENTUALLY PROVE NECESSARY," WRITES JAKUB MAJMUREK IN NEWSWEEK: "It is possible that Tusk is pushing Sikorski to become deputy prime minister and designating him as his potential successor to neutralize a potential rival before he truly becomes a threat. However, the party may find itself in a situation where the idea of Sikorski as Prime Minister – still rather distant today – may prove to be a necessity. This could happen if Civic Coalition's ratings continue to fall." https://www.onet.pl/informacje/newsweek/radoslaw-sikorski-premierem-to-moze-sie-okazac-koniecznoscia/rt1dx08,452ad802 -- BIRTHDAYS: Stanisław Biernat. SUNDAY: Antoni Macierewicz turns 77, Jan Dziedziczak, Grzegorz Rydlewski.