-- A 20-YEAR-OLD STABBED HER SO HARD THE BLADE WENT THROUGH HER ARM. THE ASSAILANT WAS CAUGHT BUT QUICKLY RELEASED. THE TERRified VICTIM FEARS FOR HERSELF AND HER DAUGHTER, WHO WITNESSED THE ATTACK. - AND THE POLICE OFFICER TELLS ME: DON'T WORRY, THERE'S NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF, IT WAS A MISTAKE - PAWEŁ BUCZKOWSKI IN WP: “After consulting with the prosecutor, the police only charged her with bodily harm and assault in the context of hooliganism. An expert opinion, which stated that the injuries were not serious, contributed to this qualification of the offense. As the Lublin Municipal Police Headquarters informed on its website on Monday, the woman was placed under supervision, meaning she must report to the police station from time to time.”
https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/noz-przeszedl-na-wylot-coreczka-krzyczala-nie-rusz-moja-mame-7234150233553888a

-- CONTINUATION OF THE TURMOIL SURROUNDING THE FUND FOR JUSTICE - LAWYER ADAM GOMOŁA DESCRIBED ON X: An external company was hired by the Minister of Justice for nearly a million zlotys to evaluate bids for support in competitions for victims funded by the Fund for Justice. It was hired to do work that Ministry officials should be doing. A tender was announced in which only this one entity participated. The contract was signed when the matter started to gain traction thanks to WP publications.
https://x.com/antylis/status/2002080032291004840?s=20

-- SZYMON JADCZAK: For two years, the services and the entire state apparatus have been focused on holding PiS accountable. Meanwhile, Russia has been meticulously and slowly carrying out an operation to incite discord between Poles and Ukrainians and to discourage Poles from supporting Ukraine. Social media, combined with the epidemic of narcissism, has finished us off better than swarms of Shaheds and Iskanders finish off Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
https://x.com/SzJadczak/status/2002278539630923855?s=20

-- COMPLACENCY REIGNS AMONG LIBERALS AND THE LEFT. POLITICAL ACTIVITY IS REDUCED TO REPEATING SLOGANS ABOUT BRAUN - DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA IN GW: “Despite these facts, the narrative of the overwhelming power of the Union and its strongest members continues to gain supporters. Meanwhile, complacency reigns in the political center, among liberals and the left, and slogans about Braun are repeated, which in no way halt his growing support – and among the ruling party, there is even joy over voters leaving PiS for Korona.”

-- PEOPLE IN POWER, DIRECTLY OR AS THE INTELLECTUAL AND MENTAL BACKBONE OF THOSE IN POWER, LACK IMAGINATION - WIELOWIEYSKA FURTHER IN GW: “But this is a very short-sighted calculation: yes, PiS is weakening, the fragmentation of the populist right will mean fewer mandates in the next Sejm. But if the elites' reflection is limited to such a conclusion, it means that those who are in power directly or are the intellectual and mental backbone of the rulers lack imagination.”

-- BLOCKING ANY DISCUSSION ON CERTAIN TOPICS CAUSES THE POPULIST SIDE TO GROW - WIELOWIEYSKA STILL IN GW: “In some ideological bubbles, the principle has been adopted that certain thoughts are not to be uttered, and anyone who expresses doubts on a given matter is immediately shamed. Blocking any discussion on certain topics causes the populist side to grow and gain more supporters among those Poles whose views – not always radical – are disregarded by the moderate political center.”

-- UNFORTUNATELY, A LARGE PART OF SOCIETY, THE PART THAT SUPPORTS THE CURRENT RULING COALITION, BELIEVES IT IS VERY GOOD IF THE EU INSTITUTIONS FORCE US TO ADOPT SOLUTIONS - WIELOWIEYSKA CLAIMS IN GW: “Unfortunately, a large part of society, the part that supports the current ruling coalition, believes it is very good if the EU institutions force us to adopt solutions that right-wing voters dislike. This is a very dangerous path, as it strengthens anti-EU lobbies even further.”

-- EXCESSIVE IDEOLOGICAL OVERREACH, PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, AND DISREGARDING THE EMOTIONS OF THE CONSERVATIVE PART OF EUROPE CAN LEAD TO THE BREAKUP OF THE UNION - WIELOWIEYSKA'S CONCLUSION IN GW: “The left has already pushed through a large part of its agenda in a united Europe, so today it must consider that excessive ideological overreach, pressing the accelerator, and disregarding the emotions of the conservative part of Europe can lead to the breakup of the European Union – the only political system currently that ensures relative prosperity and civil rights for such numerous groups of previously excluded and harmed individuals.”
https://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,32475712,wielowieyska-na-lewicy-i-wsrod-rzadzacych-samozadowolenie-i.html

-- THE PRESIDENT OF POLAND, AT A MEETING IN WARSAW WITH THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, CLEARLY RAISES POLISH ISSUES. AND THIS IS WHAT POLES EXPECTED. THIS IS WHAT POLES VOTED FOR IN JUNE - PAWEŁ SZEFERNAKER ON KRZYSZTOF ZIEMIEC'S SATURDAY MORNING SHOW ON RMF: “The President of Poland, at a meeting in Warsaw with the President of Ukraine, clearly raises Polish issues. And this is what Poles expected. This is what Poles voted for in June. On the one hand, a tough anti-Russian policy. Today, we know that the Russian Federation is a threat to the security of Ukraine, Poland, and our entire region. Therefore, on matters that bind us, we are united and will support Ukraine in matters that are extremely important for Poland, for the security of the entire region, but also in matters important to Poles. They must also be raised as partners during such meetings as yesterday's.”

-- WE ARE WAITING FOR DECISIONS, VISITS, AND THE FULFILLMENT OF COMMITMENTS MADE BY UKRAINE YESTERDAY - SZEFERNAKER CONTINUES ON ZIEMIEC'S SHOW ON RMF.

-- PRESSURE MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT CHANGES DECISIONS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF VETOES. AND AS I SAID, EVERY GOVERNMENTAL MISTAKE WILL BE VETOED - SZEFERNAKER FURTHER STATES ON ZIEMIEC'S SHOW: “If the government wants cooperation with the president, it should talk and find a common solution. I said that, as with other laws, for example, the bus law, the president vetoed it, a new one came, and it was signed because it came in line with the president's veto guidelines. Therefore, this is how it should function. Pressure makes sense because the government changes decisions under the influence of vetoes. And as I said, every governmental mistake will be vetoed.”

-- THE POST-COMMUNIST ERA, WHICH IS VERY PRESENT IN PUBLIC LIFE TODAY, SHOULD BE PUT IN A MUSEUM, AND SYMBOLICALLY, THE ROUND TABLE IS GOING TO A MUSEUM - SZEFERNAKER FURTHER ON RMF: “The post-communist era, which is very present in public life today, should be put in a museum, and symbolically, the round table is going to a museum. And thanks to Tusk, the post-communist era is the present, so as someone from the younger generation in politics, I believe that the place for the Round Table is in a museum.”

-- THERE ARE REAL PROBLEMS OF POLES, NOT WHAT JACEK KURSKI SAID, WHAT SIGNIFICANCE DOES IT HAVE FOR POLES TODAY? WHAT DOES ONE OF THE RANK-AND-FILE MEMBERS OF LAW AND JUSTICE, OF WHICH THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND, SAY - SZEFERNAKER TELLS ZIEMIEC ON RMF: “But, Mr. Editor, the head of the President's Chancellery, who this week organized meetings about electricity prices, is coming to you about matters related to education reform, yesterday at the Belvedere Palace. There were energy-intensive enterprises that are not competitive in the world today because under Donald Tusk's government, electricity in Poland is the most expensive. The President presented a bill to lower electricity prices, and the government is not dealing with it. These are real problems of Poles, not what Jacek Kurski said. What significance does it have for Poles today? What does one of the several thousand rank-and-file members of Law and Justice say?”

-- ŻUREK HAS BOILED OVER AND IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE - SZEFERNAKER STILL ON RMF: “When I watch Mr. Minister Żurek's latest videos, I get the impression that after various court decisions that go against Minister Żurek's decisions. Minister Żurek has already boiled over and is about to explode. Therefore, Mr. Editor, really, please, what will the president do.”
https://www.youtube.com/live/DwfyobkiyN8?si=cwyf6qiO8P_KQKUD

-- MONEY FOR UKRAINE: FEAR AND THE RUSSIAN LOBBY HAVE PREVAILED - IWONA TRUSEWICZ IN RZ: “The Belgian Prime Minister's joy at the Community's decision is not surprising. He will sleep more peacefully, without imagining that along with his meal he will also swallow novichok or other poison prepared in Russian laboratories, or that his family will be attacked by unknown perpetrators. These are understandable fears in the case of people who are threatened and intimidated, as Russian services have been doing recently towards Belgian politicians and the heads of Euroclear.”
https://www.rp.pl/opinie-ekonomiczne/art43535361-iwona-trusewicz-pieniadze-dla-ukrainy-zwyciezyl-strach-i-lobby-rosyjskie

-- KACZYŃSKI'S PARTY IS TODAY BENDING UNDER PRESSURE FROM STATE SERVICES AND RADICALS ON THE RIGHT, AND ADDING ITS OWN MISTAKES TO THAT - PIOTR ZAREMBA IN PLUS/MINUS RZ: “So we have police-prosecutorial pressure on PiS and a process of radicalizing sentiments that weakens this party. But what role do its own mistakes play? A certain PiS politician recently listed a considerable catalog of them for me; in short, it came down to betting on the wrong issues, and most importantly, getting into an absurd word fight with Mentzen. Right-wing voters may be emotional about the dispute between the right-wing that ruled for eight years and the right-wing that – aside from significant programmatic differences – did not rule and was not forced into various compromises, even with the European Union. But a significant portion of them simply expect right-wing agreement and a joint stance against Tusk.”

-- SOMEONE EVEN CONVINCED ME THAT MORAWIECKI HAS THE MAJORITY OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CLUB BEHIND HIM. HE OWES THIS TO TITANIC WORK, TRAVELS AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND TALKS WITH MPS - ZAREMBA FURTHER IN PLUS/MINUS RZ: “The entire group, perhaps the strongest in terms of substance within the club, is referred to as the Scouts or the Ememems (the latter from M.M.'s initials). Over 60 MPs (out of 188) attended a separate Christmas Eve gathering at MEP Dworczyk's office. This is an astonishing turnout, considering that at the Christmas wafer event on Nowogrodzka Street, Kaczyński appealed to refrain from further meetings. Someone even convinced me that Morawiecki has the majority of the parliamentary club behind him. He owes this to his titanic work, travels around the country, and conversations with MPs.”

-- KACZYŃSKI ANNOUNCED HE WOULD WARN RIGHT-WING VOTERS AGAINST BRAUN, AND THEN SASIN SUDDENLY ANNOUNCES ON CAMERA THAT HE WOULD PREFER A COALITION WITH BRAUN THAN WITH TUSK - ZAREMBA STILL IN RZ: “Kaczyński announced that he would warn right-wing voters against Braun. Because this extreme radical is acting in Tusk's interest, pushing the right into negating Nazi crimes, into Russophilism, or antisemitism. And then, suddenly, the same Sasin announces on camera that he would prefer a coalition with Braun than with Tusk. Sasin's statement was supposed to be a naive recipe for the fact that voters are leaving PiS for Braun. He thought he would draw them back to his party with a warm vision of uniting the entire right after the elections. But the effect might be the opposite. Again, this premature chatter about future coalitions.”

-- TUSK, AT TIMES SKILLFULLY MIMICKING THE ADOPTION OF THE RIGHT-WING AGENDA ON ISSUES SUCH AS MIGRANTS OR MAJOR INVESTMENTS - ZAREMBA CLAIMS IN RZ: “In reality, Tusk remains a threat, at times skillfully mimicking the adoption of the right-wing agenda on issues such as migrants or major investments. He is unlikely to take voters away from PiS, which he attacks so ruthlessly, but he might take them from Konfederacja. If the main opposition party were to split along the seams imagined by its politicians, a sleight of hand trick of disguising part of the liberal mainstream as its own negation could succeed.”
https://www.rp.pl/plus-minus/art43527911-kaczynski-traci-kontrole-chaos-w-pis-przed-wyborami-sejmowymi

-- THE END OF MELODRAMA. WILL NAWROCKI IMPOSE HIS STYLE ON RELATIONS WITH KYIV? - WIKTOR ŚWIETLIK IN INTERIA: “Perhaps a conversation with Karol Nawrocki, who is firmly grounded and has no personal grievances, will constitute a new opening. An opening based on firmly stating demands and seeking compromise, rather than melodrama of constant embraces, mutual emotional appeals, and regrets. This could benefit both sides, because the previous approach simply didn't work in the long run.”

-- IF ZELENSKY REMAINS IN POWER AND THE RIGHT WINS GOVERNANCE IN POLAND, THEN TODAY'S VISIT MAY BE SIGNIFICANT FOR FUTURE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES - ŚWIETLIK FURTHER IN INTERIA: “Certainly, no important decisions will be made, because they cannot be made in this conversation. But what this meeting will be a seed for is important. If Zelensky remains in power and the right regains governance in Poland, then today's visit may be significant for the future relations of the two countries.”
https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/felietony/news-koniec-melodramatu-czy-nawrocki-narzuci-swoj-styl-relacjom-z,nId,22500213

-- A VISIT IN A FAIRLY FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE, UNFORTUNATELY NOT A BEGINNING OF A THAW BETWEEN THE RADICAL POLISH RIGHT AND UKRAINE - BARTOSZ T. WIELIŃSKI IN GW: “The visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to Warsaw, which took place in a fairly friendly atmosphere, is unfortunately not the beginning of a thaw between the radical Polish right and Ukraine. Let's have no illusions, there will still be many bumps on the Polish-Ukrainian road. It is good that Zelensky visited all centers of power: the president, the parliament, and the prime minister. It is good that he was received everywhere as he should be: warmly, as a friend, as a good neighbor. Any significant friction from the Polish side – for example, if President Karol Nawrocki had stuck to the rhetoric towards Ukraine from just a few days ago – would jeopardize our country's reputation, give grounds to say that Polish authorities are divided on supporting Ukraine, and classify Poland among the small group of countries reluctant to support Ukraine, such as Orban's Hungary.”
https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,32485473,dobrze-ze-zelenski-odwiedzil-wszystkie-osrodki-wladzy-prezydenta.html

-- 30 YEARS AGO, then-Prime Minister Józef Oleksy was accused by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrzej Milczanowski, during a speech in the Sejm, of having ties with Russian intelligence.

-- 25 YEARS AGO, MPs Halina Nowina Konopka and Witold Tomczak removed from an installation by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan a fragment symbolizing a meteorite crushing the figure of Pope John Paul II at Zachęta.

-- BIRTHDAYS: Marcin Fijołek, Jagoda Zakrzewska. SUNDAY: Jakub Szulc.