NEWSLETTER
From Poland with Love. January
Topic of the Month
Presidential Digest
The list of candidates for President of Poland has grown considerably longer in recent weeks. It includes not only representatives of the largest parties, but also members of small and very small groupings and people with no organization behind them.
An interesting feature of this year's campaign is that many candidates are calling themselves ‘independent candidates’ or ‘civic candidates’, even though no one doubts that they are put up and financed by political parties. This is especially true of the PiS candidate, Karol Nawrocki, and the leader of the Poland 2050 party, Szymon Hołownia. The situation of the former is interesting in that he currently holds the office of President of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN; a public body established to investigate crimes committed in Poland from 1917 to 1990, spanning both the Nazi and Soviet eras) and by law must be apolitical. A person in this position is forbidden to be a party member and Nawrocki is not a member of PiS but it is questionable for constitutionalists that his campaign is organized and paid for by Jarosław Kaczyński's party. In theory, he could be dismissed from his post by the Sejm, but only at the request of the IPN Collegium, which is dominated by PiS nominees.
This year's elections are also characterized by a crowded right-hand side of the political scene. A number of candidates, often with very similar profiles, are fighting for the right and far-right electorate. On the other hand, three candidates (not counting candidates with marginal support) are actually fighting for the democratic, centrist and centre-left electorate. Moreover, the undisputed leader of this group, Rafał Trzaskowski, does not really have any real contenders. Left-wing representative Magdalena Biejat is not a threat to Trzaskowski, she is not an alternative for a large group of his voters, and Szymon Hołownia is practically not campaigning.
So who are the candidates?
The peloton. According to all polls, the Civic Coalition (KO) candidate, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and the head of the IPN supported by the Law and Justice party, Karol Nawrocki, will go through to the second round. Trzaskowski needs no introduction, he has been on the Polish political scene for years. He was a member of the Polish Parliament, Vice-Chairman of the EU Committee, Vice-Chair of the European People’s Party, analyst and academic teacher. He was a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister's European Council Plenipotentiary in Ewa Kopacz's government. During that time he was in charge of governmental European policy, involved in key EU negotiations, i.a. on sanctions against Russia and energy security. He was also the Minister of Administration and Digitization in PM Donald Tusk's government (2013-2014). Karol Nawrocki is a historian, and he has never held a top government post. He came into the public eye in Poland eight years ago, when he was appointed director of the Museum of the Second World War. He is known for his passion for sport, in particular for boxing.
Observers have no doubt that both main candidates will primarily be vying for the votes of the ‘average Pole’. And as the centre of political life in Poland has tilted to the right, the candidates are also using right-wing rhetoric. This is particularly evident in the case of Trzaskowski, who is trying to shed the image of a representative of the metropolitan elite and is avoiding topics considered progressive or left-wing. Moreover, the mayor of Warsaw surprised everyone by proposing to limit children benefits for Ukrainians who do not live and work in Poland. Nawrocki, on the other hand, appeals to a more radical electorate by attacking LGBTQI+ people and announcing opposition to Ukraine's membership of NATO and the EU if Kyiv does not allow the exhumation of the Polish victims of the Volhynian massacre (read more in the May 2023 edition of the Newsletter).
There are two more candidates from the government coalition. They are Speaker of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia from Poland 2050 and Deputy Speaker of the Senate Magdalena Biejat from the New Left. Hołownia had hoped to advance to the second round, but has even fallen off the podium in the polls; he is fourth with support at 8%. This is a very bad result for someone who came third in the previous presidential election, which allowed him to build a new political movement. It seems that Hołownia is only running to save his party from further polling declines, but so far this plan is not succeeding. Even worse are the ratings of the New Left candidate, who can count on 3-4% support. It looks like Trzaskowski is consuming the support of the progressive electorate, leaving no room for anyone on the left side.
Interestingly, the weak Polish left is very fragmented in this election, but support for its people is negligible. Only Adrian Zandberg, leader of the Together party, which recently took a divorce from the New Left, can currently count on more than 1%. Far behind him are trade union activist Piotr Szumlewicz or former MP know for her anti-church views, Professor Joanna Senyszyn. It is unclear how many of them will even manage to collect the 100,000 signatures necessary to run in the elections. Many left-wing voters are critical of such fragmentation and would rather expect unity in favor of a single candidate.
On the radical right, Sławomir Mentzen, leader of the parliamentary Confederation, leads the way. Mentzen is an anti-EU right-winger who has changed the face of the radical right in Poland and given it new wings. He is currently in third place with support of around 12%. Interestingly, many polls show that his party colleague, the leader of the nationalist wing of the Confederation, would be likely to have more support. Mentzen's appetites are also curbed by ultra-radical Grzegorz Braun MEP. Braun, until not long ago one of the leaders of the Confederation, announced his run for the election and was removed from the far-right caucus (he still heads his monarchist and ultra-conservative party, The Crown). This month, Braun became famous for his anti-Semitic excesses in the European Parliament, where he was escorted out of the chamber by guards. It is on anti-Semitism, homophobia and conspiracy theories that he builds his popularity, finding support from around 2% of Poles. Additionally, the anti-establishment brewer Marek Jakubiak can count on more than 1%.
Many political commentators were anticipating the entry of Krzysztof Stanowski into the battle for the presidential palace. And finally he announce his candidacy. He is a journalist, who has become popular in recent years for his controversial investigations and interviews. He is the only one who has openly declared that he does not want to win the election. In his speech, he said he is not capable of being president as he does not have adequate experience, class, or… dignity. Stanowski will be the anti-candidate who fights against the elite and wants to show all its flaws. It is said that he could become the black horse of the race, but in the first polls he is gathering around 3% support.
There are additional 10 or so names on the market, but none of them with realistic chances to collect 100.000 signatures.
The elections will take place on May 18, and the second round on June 1. Poland will take extra measures to secure a fair and free campaign. Deputy PM and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski accused Russia on of attempting to recruit Poles on the dark net to try to influence Poland's presidential election campaign. He announced that Russia had been looking for Poles willing to influence the campaign from inside the country, offering them EUR 3,000-4,000 to spread disinformation. The minister also presented the "Election Umbrella", a new election protection programme. PLN 4 million (ca. EUR 900,000) will be allocated to the secure elections website with extra budget directed toward training and implementing procedures for providing information to electoral committees.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented words of Karol Nawrocki, who said that "until our issues, including the exhumation of victims of the Volhynian genocide, are resolved," he does not see a future for Ukraine in the European Union or NATO. "If our allies, and Poland is our ally and partner, do not see us in such a security alliance, then Mr. Nawrocki should start preparing, because it might turn out that he will need to take up arms to defend his country alongside his fellow citizens. If Ukraine is not part of the equation, there is a high risk that Russia, after taking Ukraine, will be at the border with Poland", Zelensky said in an interview for Polish media outlets. PiS politicians have accused the Ukrainian president of “brazen interference” in the campaign.
Politics
Who Will Certify Election Results?
The Sejm has passed a bill changing the judicial process for the validation of the presidential election. Under the new legislation, judges appointed to the Supreme Court in an illegal procedure, under the previous government, will be excluded from the process. According to the bill adopted by the current majority (the Left abstained), the longest-serving judges of the Supreme Court should decide on the validity of the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.
Until now, the politicized Supervisory Chamber of the Supreme Court has had the competence to certify the results in all elections. The change was justified on the grounds that the legitimacy of the Supervisory Chamber of the Supreme Court had been questioned by both the European Court of Justice and the present Polish government. The bill was drafted by the Third Way block (Poland 2050 and PSL). “The legislation allows us to avoid a situation in which anyone, for any political reasons, could challenge the outcome of the election,” explained PSL MP Michał Pyrzyk.
The new legislation has been criticized by both PiS and far-right Confederation, who call the bill unconstitutional. PiS comments that the Tusk administration is undermining the exclusive prerogative of the president to appoint judges, adding that no such amendments should take place only months before the election. The Kaczyński party also stresses that 12 of the 15 longest-serving judges who would adjudicate on the election, had begun their professional career in the communist era.
President Andrzej Duda will most likely veto the new legislation and the competence will stay with the controversial chamber. Many politicians and commentators worry that this may result with gridlock, legal uncertainty and constitutional crisis.
Lex Romanowski
The Sejm has approved a draft amendment to the law on exercising parliamentary mandates, so that MPs facing pre-trial detention will be barred from carrying out their duties or receiving any parliamentary benefits, including salaries and allowances. It is a reaction to the case of Marcin Romanowski MP who fled Poland after prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for him and was granted asylum in Hungary (read more in the December issue of the Newsletter).
PiS politicians call it a "political revenge" and "veiled coup d'etat".
New Ideological Battle Inside the Coalition
The Ministry of Education has long announced that a new subject, health education, will be introduced in the 2025-2026 school year. In January, it emerged that the subject was causing controversy within the government, leading to a spat between ministers, and the Education Minister's defeat.
It all started with protests against health education organized by right-wing circles. Demonstrations took place in Kraków, Szczecin or Radom under the title “Yes to education! No to depravity!”. The one in Kraków was held, among others, with the participation of Barbara Nowak, a controversial PiS politician, former superintendent of education in the Małopolska region, and the party’s potential Senate candidate (by-elections in May). Protesters oppose elements of sex education in the curriculum.
Unexpectedly, Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (PSL) spoke at the discussion. He said the new subject would be optional, and it would be up to parents to decide whether their children will participate. His remarks prompted pushback from Education Minister Barbara Nowacka, who commented that “someone has mistaken the defense ministry with the education ministry once again.” This is another episode in the dispute between the most conservative part of the government, which is the PSL, and the most progressive, of which Nowacka is the face.
The dispute was ended by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who said that health education would be voluntary. This decision was dictated by electoral considerations. Tusk does not want to provoke another ideological dispute before the May elections. “We don't need a war over children's health. We need to take care of the health of children and youth so that the lessons run smoothly,” Nowacka commented. “Schools don't need tensions; schools need peace, and what happens next will be decided together with the teachers,” she added.
Health education in Poland will be introduced in grades 4-8 of primary schools, grades 1-3 of vocational schools, as well as in general secondary schools and technical schools in grades 1-3. According to experts, the curriculum is quite conservative, and education about sexuality is only a small part. The decision to make the subject voluntary will result in a large number of students not gaining important knowledge about psychical health or proper nutrition.
Memory
80th Anniversary of the Liberation of KL Auschwitz
On 27 January 2025 the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz was held. The main commemoration began at 4.00 pm in a special tent (biggest ten ever erected in Europe) that was built over the gate to the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. The TV signal produced by TVP was available to all, providing an opportunity for joint commemoration and global reflection on the significance of the events of the past.
Over 50 former prisoners and survivors came together to honor the victims of the Holocaust. The commemoration not only highlighted the enduring importance of Holocaust education but also reaffirmed a commitment to fighting anti-Semitism and hatred. World leaders, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, King Charles III and President Emmanuel Macron, were asked by organizers not to speak at the ceremony. Instead, they were requested to listen and observe as they toured the Auschwitz grounds. Before the official ceremony, President Andrzej Duda remembered the victims in a TV address, stressing Poland has a special role in preserving the memory of Auschwitz. "We Poles, on whose land occupied by Nazi Germany the Germans built this extermination industry and concentration camp are today the guardians of memory", he concluded.
Chancellor Scholz commented in an interview that it was "depressing how many people in Germany hardly know anything about the Holocaust". These words were read in context of the Elon Musk's speech at the AfD congress, when the ally of Donald Trump was talking about too much emphasis on "past guilt". The speech of Musk was also commented on by Prime Minister Donald Tusk who tweeted that the AfD rally "sounded all too familiar and ominous. Especially only hours before the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz."
Russia was not invited due to its invasion of Ukraine. Big question was if Benjamin Netanyahu would come. Last month Polish Poland was watching a public debate concerning if the Israeli would be or wouldn’t be arrested based on the ICC decision if he came to Poland. President Andrzej Duda called on government to ensure Netanyahu can participate in anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz, and Tusk agreed contrarily to what deputy MFA had earlier stated (read more in the previous issue).
The Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp operated in German-occupied southern Poland between May 1940 and January 1945. It was the largest of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camps during the war. Until the liberation of some 7 thousand prisoners remaining at the site of the camp by soldiers of the Red Army, the German Nazis murdered ca. 1.1 million people in Auschwitz, mostly Jews, but also Poles, the Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and people of other nationalities.
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In the article published online by New York Post titled “‘Miracle’ Auschwitz babies reveal how they escaped the Holocaust after being written off as having almost no chance of survival,” author Doree Lewak, called Auschwitz a “Polish Camp.” The incorrect wording was addressed by Consul General of Poland in New York City Mateusz Sakowicz: “With regard to the article by Ms. Doree Lewak (…) we requested an immediate correction on the same day of a historically inappropriate and misleading phrase used in one sentence”. He explained: “We emphasized in our communication that during World War II, Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany following a brutal military campaign. No Polish collaborative government was ever formed (the Polish Government operated in exile). The territory of occupied Poland was under German Nazi administration, and it was the German Nazi regime that established and ran the concentration and death camps across occupied Poland".
Also, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka publicly apologized for the mistake made during her speech at the international conference "We Are the Memory. Teaching History is Learning to Talk" in Kraków. She said: "Polish Nazis built camps on German-occupied territory, which were labor camps and later became extermination camps". Nowacka apologized for the "obvious slip of the tongue" and reaffirmed the historical accuracy of her statement. “There were no Polish Nazis”, she clarified. PiS is calling for her resignation over her remark.
International Affairs
Poles in USA Worried about Deportations
Poland is preparing diplomatic missions to protect Poles from possible expulsion from USA in response to President Donald Trump's plans to crack down on illegal immigration.
Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned that Trump's mass deportation of illegal immigrants may affect up to 30,000 Poles. According to MFA, the federal immigration crackdown could concern Polish people whose legal status may appear "atypical" in the general perception of illegal immigrants. It may concern people who moved to the US in the 1990s and did not take proper care of regulating their immigration status. "Countrymen whose passports have expired are welcome to apply for new documents," foreign minister Radek Sikorski tweeted. Polish missions will be prepped to respond quickly to citizens' concerns, and even Poles expelled from the US will be welcomed home warmly, commented top government representatives. “Anyone who wants to work and believes in their own future will find opportunities here,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
PiS calls the government's reaction "alarmist" and "irresponsible". “Tusk seeks to provoke every possible dispute and conflict to cover the ineptitude of his government,” commented ex-spokesman of the PiS government Piotr Müller.
Migrants staying in the US irregularly are to be rounded up by the authorities, with people with criminal records, even for minor offences such as traffic violations, being the first to be deported. Trump's announcements worried many members of the Polish diaspora in USA. Online groups became full of distraught comment, and lawyers have received high number of questions about potential repatriation. Concerns were particularly serious because Trump declared the process of mass deportations will start in Chicago. There are now 10 million Americans of Polish descent in the US, with three million living between Chicago and Detroit.
Poland & Germany
New Embassy in Berlin
While officially opening the new headquarters of the Polish embassy in in Berlin, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that close Polish-German relations are of key importance for Europe's security in the light of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. He stressed that “what is needed now is a strong and united European Union which can cope with the present challenges. “And we need friendly, close and predictable relations with Germany in order to prepare the European community for this,” he added.
The Embassy is located in a prime site of Berlin, at no more than 300 metres from the Brandenburg Gate. It has been at the location since the late communist time. After years of discussions about whether to renovate or demolish the embassy building, which contained asbestos, the old building was torn down in 2016. Sikorski called the new headquarters Poland’s most modern diplomatic mission globally and one of the most prominent buildings on Berlin’s prestigious Unter den Linden avenue. It is composed of a total number of 475 rooms, which include meeting spaces, diplomats’ offices, a consular section for Polish citizens, a residential part for the Embassy staff, and hotel rooms for official delegations visiting Berlin. The building is environmentally friendly, with green roofs located at different heights above ground level. Rainwater is harvested in tanks and used for watering purposes. Thermal energy and electricity are supplied by local providers that guarantee to source them from renewables. The Embassy also provides facilities for cyclists and electric vehicle charging stations.
Society
Another Record of Poland’s Biggest Charity
The Grand Christmas Charity Orchestra (WOŚP), Poland’s biggest charity fundraiser sets new record with EUR 42 million raised so far.
WOŚP was founded in 1993 with the aim of bringing help to children and hospitals. It supports public health in Poland by purchasing state-of-the-art equipment. To date, the foundations has risen EUR 474 million, implementing eight national medical programmes.
Every year dozens of thousands of volunteers collect money all over Poland (this year also in 23 countries around the globe). Thousands of auctions are organized online. The most important one is for the golden heart. This year it was sold for a record PLN 1,3 million (ca. EUR 310.000). Polish celebrities are also involved, e.g. young actor Maciej Musiał offered to clean an apartment while dancing to music played live by famous DJs. It was sold for ca. EUR 30.000. Some of the auctions have not ended yet. Fans are still bidding for a chance to go to the cinema with the most popular Polish singer Dawid Podsiadło to watch together a documentary about… himself. Currently such entertainment costs ca. EUR 12.000.
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German discount chain Lidl has announced plans to stop advertising on alt-right television station TV Republika following an ultimatum WOŚP, who has been the target of a weeks-long hate campaign inspired by the broadcaster. TV Republika has close links with PiS. It was created by Tomasz Sakiewicz, editor-in-chief of the far-right "Gazeta Polska" daily and "Gazeta Polska Codziennie" weekly magazine, who also established a network of Gazeta Polska Clubs which supports PiS in all campaigns. In 2015-2023, all these media outlets were heavily subsidised by the former government and SOCs (received over EUR 20 million). After PiS politicians were removed from the board of TVP, the public broadcaster, most right-wing propagandists found new jobs in TV Republika. Currently it is the fastest growing TV station in Poland, number one among information channels.
Lidl decision was followed by Wawel, one the biggest producers of chocolate and candies in Poland.
Musk’s New Address
According to media, Elon Musk is said to be looking at buying a luxury apartment in the Warsaw’s prestigious Złota 44 skyscraper. The 200 sq meters property, perched on the 52nd floor and valued at PLN 25 million (ca. EUR 5.87 million), is believed to be the highest apartment in the European Union. It offers stunning views of Warsaw's city center.
This development follows the billionaire's 2024 visit to Poland for the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Media suggests his trip to the Auschwitz Memorial Museum inspired an interest in Polish real estate. Musk had previously expressed interest in another apartment within the same building, owned by cryptocurrency speculator Rafał Zaorski.
On the other hand, a small town in southern Poland, Głogówek, is encouraging Musk to buy its vast 13th-century castle and turn it into his European HQ. The mayor of the town in Lower Silesia confirmed her recently posted the invitation on Musk's social media platform X and has sent letters to his companies, advocating for him to buy the landmark. The Głogówek castle boasts a rich history going back to the Middle Ages. It served for a short time as Poland's capital in the 17th century. It has also hosted composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Culture
Twin Peaks Museum
David Lynch, the American filmmaker whose works include the surrealist cult classics Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks, has died aged 78. The Twin Peaks Museum dedicated to the late filmmaker is set to open in Toruń. Marek Żydowicz, controversial director of the Camerimage film festival (read more in the November 2024 edition of the Newsletter) and Lynch’s longtime friend, said a shipment of 13 containers of memorabilia donated by Lynch before his death is already in Poland. “David and I agreed to collaborate on something significant in Poland, and this museum will showcase his surrealist vision to fans from around the globe,” Żydowicz told local media.
The American director's affection for Poland has been known for a long. After one of his first visits to Poland, his eerie photos of women posing naked in Łódź factories were later exhibited in Poland and England. In 2005, the director announced plans to build a cultural centre and film studio. Lynch and Żydowicz convinced the city of Łódź to donate a century-old power plant and to help fund the project. The world-renowned architect Frank Gehry was supposed to design the centre. The plan did not work out and Lynch blamed the government. The director has cooperated and praised many Polish artists, including composer Krzysztof Penderecki. Penderecki's music was used in Lynch's films, e.g. Twin Peaks. The Return.
Trends & Polls
Party Support
Opinia24 for Radio Zet, 4.02.2025
Civic Coalition 32%
PiS 29%
Confederation 16%
Third Way 7%
Left 6%
Together 1%
Presidential elections
IBRiS for Onet, 2.04.2025
Rafał Trzaskowski 37,3%
Karol Nawrocki 23,9%
Sławomir Mentzen 8,9%
Szymon Hołownia 6,8%
Magdalena Biejat 5%
Krzysztof Stanowski 3%
Grzegorz Braun 1,7%
Marek Jakubiak 1,2%
Adrian Zandberg 1,1%