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Kooks, antisemites, and scammers: Fringe figures are driving the narrative around Poland’s presidential runoff
The war in Ukraine has turned Poland into a major focal point in European politics. The country, which has taken in millions of refugees, has become a critical logistics hub for nearly all aid flowing to Ukraine and a key architect and ideological driver of sanctions against the Kremlin.
Unsurprisingly, all of Europe watched closely as Poland’s 2023 parliamentary elections radically reshaped its domestic political landscape. After eight years of unchallenged rule by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party — under Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and President Andrzej Duda — a new ruling coalition came to power. It included liberals from the Civic Coalition led by Donald Tusk, centrist conservatives from Szymon Hołownia’s Third Way, and left-wing parties including Lewica (“The Left”) and Razem (“Together”).
This alliance, which branded itself the “15 October Coalition,” was necessary for former European Council President Donald Tusk to reclaim the role of prime minister for a third time. From 2015 to 2023, conservatives held complete control: the PiS-affiliated Morawiecki served as prime minister, while Duda, from the same camp, remained president.
A backlash eventually arrived, driven largely by accusations of rampant institutional corruption and cronyism within PiS. The number of scandals involving ministers and officials from the nationalist-populist camp defies easy counting.
The migration agency, operating under a government that publicly opposed immigration, was accused of illegally selling visas. Prosecutor General Zbigniew Ziobro, head of the anti-corruption police Mariusz Kamiński, and his deputy Maciej Wąsik faced allegations of using the intelligence services for political ends, spying on opponents, and later embezzling money from the Justice Fund, which is intended to support victims of crime. The defense minister was accused of having ties to Russia and of undermining NATO. And the list goes on.
Although Poland is a parliamentary republic where the prime minister is the most powerful figure, there is a widespread but misleading belief that the presidency is purely ceremonial. In reality, the president holds significant sway over foreign policy.
“At the very least, the president confirms or rejects ambassadors, hosts foreign leaders, and makes international visits,” said political scientist Łukasz Jasina, a former spokesperson for the Polish Foreign Ministry. “So who becomes president is a critical question for Poland’s foreign policy.”
Domestically, the presidency is also influential. Since 2023, President Andrzej Duda has remained the last figure in power from the Law and Justice party. He has used his presidential authority to pardon former security officials convicted of corruption — even sheltering them in the presidential palace — and, more consequentially, vetoed nearly every initiative from the new parliamentary majority and Prime Minister Tusk’s government. His use of the veto has demoralized lawmakers and anti-corruption advocates within the 15 October Coalition.