Former Polish president Aleksander Kwaśniewski, speaking on TVN24, commented on Friday’s presidential debate in Końskie, where eight candidates answered questions from Poland’s main TV networks – public broadcaster TVP and commercial stations TVN and Polsat News.
Former President of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski at the opening of the “Your Country First – Win With Us” exhibition at the Ukraine House in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21, 2025, during the World Economic Forum.Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada
In a conversation with journalist Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska, Kwaśniewski admitted that despite his extensive political experience, he was surprised to see some of the presidential hopefuls for the very first time.
The former president observed that the two frontrunners in the polls – Rafał Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw and candidate of the ruling Civic Coalition, and Karol Nawrocki, head of the Institute of National Remembrance and candidate backed by the right-wing opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party – appeared “deeply paralyzed.”
Kwaśniewski suggested they seemed more focused on avoiding missteps that could cost them in the polls than on actively winning over voters.
Aleksander Kwaśniewski praised Szymon Hołownia, the candidate of the Third Way party (a coalition of Polska 2050 and PSL), for responding effectively to questions – a skill he attributed to Hołownia’s previous career as a journalist and TV presenter.
He also commended Hołownia’s boldness for being the first to confirm participation in the debate, which was initially intended as a one-on-one between Trzaskowski and Nawrocki.
“Magdalena Biejat performed excellently,” Kwaśniewski said, describing her as a mature politician with a well-considered platform and quick reflexes. The ex-president, who comes from the Polish left, highlighted her symbolic act of taking the LGBT flag from Trzaskowski – after it had been handed to him by Nawrocki – as a spontaneous and genuine gesture. “And good for her,” he added.
The former president also acknowledged another candidate whose progressive values align with his own. He said Joanna Senyszyn, “despite her flamboyant persona,” presented “common-sense” and “serious” arguments that were difficult to dismiss.
Don’t underestimate any candidate, suggests former Polish president
In a separate comment for the Polish edition of Newsweek, Kwaśniewski shared his view on Karol Nawrocki, warning against underestimating “even an unconvincing candidate” supported by Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the Law and Justice party.
(m p)
Source: TVN24/Newsweek Polska