Far right issues eight demands to two remaining candidates in Poland’s presidential election

Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work!

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Sławomir Mentzen, the far-right candidate who came third in the first round of Poland’s presidential election, has invited the two candidates competing in the second-round run-off to join him for a discussion on his YouTube channel and sign an eight-point declaration reflecting the interests of his voters.

So far, Mentzen has declined to endorse either Rafał Trzaskowski, the candidate of Poland’s main centrist ruling party, Civic Platform (PO), or Karol Nawrocki, the candidate supported by the national-conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Nawrocki almost immediately accepted the invitation and pledged to sign the declaration, while Trzaskowski has not yet confirmed his participation. The discussion will take place on 22 May at 1 p.m.

Mentzen, one of the leaders of Confederation (Konfederacja), secured nearly 15% of the vote in Sunday’s presidential election first round. Trzaskowski led with 31.4% of the vote, but was closely followed by Nawrocki on 29.5%, both of whom will compete in a second-round run-off on 1 June.

Mentzen, however, performed much better than the pair among younger voters, receiving support from over 34% of voters aged 18 to 29, and nearly one in four in their thirties.

“I think I could help you decide what to do in the second round,” Mentzen said in a YouTube video addressing his voters. “Hence my proposal to my two former opponents.”

“Your task over the next two weeks is to convince my voters that you are worth voting for,” he stated, stressing that his voters follow social media rather than traditional media.

He expressed hope that during the discussion, both candidates would sign a declaration to support what he called his “eight conditions”. Those pledges, which Mentzen said are issues important to his electorate, are:

• to oppose any law that increases taxes or public levies;
• to protect cash and the Polish currency;
• to reject restrictions on freedom of expression;
• to oppose sending Polish troops to Ukraine;
• to reject Ukraine’s accession to NATO;
• to oppose laws limiting access to firearms;
• to resist transferring powers from Polish authorities to European Union bodies;
• to reject the ratification of any new EU treaties “that could diminish Poland’s sovereignty”.

“I will treat [the candidates] with respect,” Mentzen promised and added that he “will ask difficult questions”. He did not rule out endorsing one of the two remaining candidates.

While Confederation and PiS appeared to maintain an informal truce during the campaign, tensions emerged in its final stages, when Mentzen accused Nawrocki of wrongdoing related to a scandal involving allegations that he exploited an elderly, disabled man to gain ownership of a small studio apartment. Nawrocki and his team deny those claims.

Speaking in parliament today, Mentzen reiterated that he intends to confront Nawrocki directly on the matter, reports Gazeta Wyborcza. “Of course, I am going to raise this subject, I have very many doubts. I intend to ask him a specific question and hear from him a final, credible version,” he said.

Nawrocki responded positively to the invitation. “I accept the invitation and am ready to sign these proposals,” he wrote on X.

When asked by journalists whether he would still take part in the discussion if it included Trzaskowski, Nawrocki replied: “If it’s going to be the three of us, then Mr Trzaskowski certainly won’t show up – he usually doesn’t. I, of course, am willing to come.”

He emphasised that many of Mentzen’s supporters are already attending his rallies, and said he could not imagine them backing his opponent.

Trzaskowski, meanwhile, was cautious about confirming his participation. “I have seen these demands…I agree with many of them. Rest assured, we still have 11 days to respond to them,” he told reporters today in parliament, referring to the remaining campaign period before the second round.

While it is still unclear whether Trzaskowski will take part, just hours after the invitation was issued, Mentzen wrote on his social media that the interview with Nawrocki will be held on 22 May at 1 p.m.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Slawomir Kaminski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.