A recent IBRiS poll reveals that over 70% of Poles believe the housing dispute involving Karol Nawrocki, the right-wing, populist Law and Justice (PiS) party’s presidential candidate, harms his public image, with women, rural residents, and older voters expressing the strongest concerns.
Right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki.Photo: PAP/Krzysztof Ćwik
According to a poll conducted by IBRiS for Radio ZET 70,5 percent of respondents think the controversy over Nawrocki’s acquisition of a municipal apartment from Jerzy Ż. damages his reputation. Only 18,1 percent believe the issue does not affect his image.
A similar poll for the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita shos that women are more likely to view the matter as damaging, with 72 percent expressing concern compared to 56 percent of men.
The issue also resonates strongly with voters in rural areas and smaller towns of up to 50,000 residents, where 54 to 70 percent see it as a liability. Older respondents, particularly those over 70, are also critical, with 64 percent perceiving the controversy as harmful to Nawrocki.
Nawrocki’s 20% loan to senior sparks controversy in apartment probe
In related reports, Gazeta Wyborcza uncovered a loan agreement dating back to February 2010, in which Nawrocki lent Jerzy Ż. 12,000 PLN (approximately €2,827) at an annual interest rate of 20 percent.
The loan was intended to help Ż. purchase the municipal apartment. This document was found in a Gdańsk municipal office and is now part of a prosecutor’s investigation into the circumstances of the apartment’s transfer to Nawrocki’s family.
The loan’s steep interest rate raises questions, especially since Jerzy Ż. was reliant on social welfare and reportedly unable to repay the debt. At the time, average cash loan rates in Poland ranged from 8 to 17 percent annually.
On Thursday, it was announced that Nawrocki transferred the studio apartment he acquired from an elderly man to the Christian Charity Association in Gdynia.
However, during election rallies, he refused to answer independent journalists’ questions on the matter, while the crowd effectively drowned out any attempts at discussion.
This timeline below shows the polling trends for presidential candidates ahead of the first round of elections scheduled for May 18, 2025, according to IBRiS.
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Source: IAR/Radio ZET/IBRiS/TVN24/Rzeczpospolita/Gazeta Wyborcza