NEWSLETTER
From Poland with Love. April
Topic of the Month
Last Mile
The National Electoral Commission (PKW) has confirmed the final list of candidates for the presidential election. A record 13 contenders will compete on May 18, with none expected to secure the required 50% in the first round, making a runoff almost certain. Four additional hopefuls were disqualified after large portions of their submitted signatures were deemed invalid—some candidates had over 40,000 of the required 100,000 signatures rejected, many of which were from deceased individuals.
Rafał Trzaskowski, the Mayor of Warsaw and candidate for the Civic Coalition, remains the frontrunner, although his support has dipped following a series of televised debates. The drop wasn’t due to poor performance, but rather because voters saw other candidates for the first time—and some impressed. The debates took on a theatrical atmosphere, more reminiscent of MMA bouts than sober policy discussions.
The first two debates were held in the small southern town of Końskie. Since 2020, when Andrzej Duda and PiS-aligned media staged a one-sided debate there after Trzaskowski declined to attend, Końskie has become symbolic—“elections are won in Końskie,” as the saying now goes. This year, PiS candidate Karol Nawrocki challenged Trzaskowski to a debate in the same town. To many people’s surprise, Trzaskowski accepted, set the time, and announced that three major TV networks would host the duel.
Other candidates were outraged at being excluded. Some even argued it was illegal for public broadcaster TVP to co-host a debate limited to just two participants. Speaker of the Sejm and Third Way candidate Szymon Hołownia announced he would attend regardless of an invitation. In the end, seven candidates appeared. Five initially took part in an alt-right TV Republika event tailored for Nawrocki in the town’s old market square. All seven then joined the nationally televised debate.
The Końskie debates went viral, reaching over one billion social media impressions within 12 hours—making it the most-watched YouTube content globally at that time. According to the Res Futura agency, the debates generated more than 250,000 unique mentions.
Spanning over four hours, the debates had notable outcomes. Szymon Hołownia and the Left’s Magdalena Biejat gained momentum, with polling support rising quickly. Former MP and MEP Joanna Senyszyn, an anti-clerical economics professor, attracted attention with her distinct look and speech style, becoming an internet sensation. She may garner protest votes from younger, urban voters. In contrast, candidates who skipped the Końskie events—especially far-left Adrian Zandberg and far-right Sławomir Mentzen—fared poorly. Mentzen, who had seen a brief rise in March, effectively ended his chances after a series of controversial remarks, including calling rape an “unpleasantness” and opposing abortion rights for rape victims. His suggestion that all university studies should be paid for was also widely condemned.
One of the debate's biggest surprises was Maciej Maciak, previously unknown even among political enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the only attention he attracted stemmed from his pro-Russian views. In a later debate, Maciak—journalist and leader of the Prosperity and Peace Movement—openly stated his admiration for Vladimir Putin. “Applauding Putin while he murders, rapes, and bombs children in Ukraine... I’ve never seen anything like it,” responded Trzaskowski. “Surely we all agree on this one issue.”
Similarly disturbing were anti-Semitic comments made by candidate Grzegorz Braun. “Jews have far too much influence in Polish affairs,” he claimed, adding he was thankful Poland didn’t share a border with “the Jewish state in Palestine,” which, he said, would otherwise spread “genocidal policies” to Poland. Braun also criticized Trzaskowski for wearing a yellow daffodil—symbol of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising—calling it “a symbol of shame.” Trzaskowski responded: “What are you talking about? Shame? Those were the heroes of our history. This is unbelievable. I won’t listen to this.” In response, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw launched an investigation into Braun’s comments for “publicly insulting a group of Jewish people due to their nationality and inciting hatred based on national, ethnic, and religious differences.”
Early May brought fresh scandal, this time involving Nawrocki’s real estate. During a debate, he claimed to “understand the struggles of ordinary Poles who own just one apartment.” But it soon emerged that Nawrocki owns two. According to the Onet.pl portal, in 2017, an 80-year-old man named Jerzy Ż. transferred ownership of his apartment to Nawrocki and his wife in exchange for promised care and assistance. Nawrocki insists he supported the senior by paying bills and trying to contact him around Christmas. But since April 2024, Mr. Jerzy has been under 24/7 specialized care funded entirely by the Gdańsk municipality—costing approximately PLN 92,000 (ca. EUR 23,000) annually.
The revelations sparked outrage. Rival campaign teams called Nawrocki morally unfit for office. “Just like he failed to care for Jerzy, he won’t care for Poland either,” said Deputy PM Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (PSL). PiS, however, dismissed the reports as a smear campaign orchestrated by Polish security services. “Those with something to hide turn to conspiracy theories,” countered Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak.
With just two weeks left in the campaign, candidates are expected to intensify their voter outreach and step up their social media campaigns. Dirty tactics and black PR are likely. Following the apartment scandal, Nawrocki may drop in the polls, but he’s still expected to take second place on May 18—setting up a head-to-head battle with Trzaskowski in the final round two weeks later.
Society
Last “LGBT-Free Zone” is Gone
Poland has officially abolished its last remaining “LGBT-free zone.” Officials in Łańcut, eastern Poland, voted to repeal the local declaration. However, council members made it clear that their decision was motivated solely by financial considerations, as the European Union had been withholding funds from such zones.
The zones were initially introduced by the former PiS government. In 2019, around 100 local and regional councils adopted so-called “family charters.” These charters pledged to discourage tolerance and ceased funding NGOs that promoted equal rights. They were quickly dubbed “LGBT-free zones.” At their peak in mid-2020, these zones reportedly covered over one-third of Poland’s territory.
EU institutions reacted strongly. In December 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the zones and called on Poland to end discriminatory actions against LGBTQ+ individuals. The resolution urged the European Commission to verify whether local governments receiving EU funds had passed such discriminatory resolutions. A direct link was established between the allocation of EU funds and compliance with the principles of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Under new regulations, Polish recipients of EU funds must now demonstrate that they are not engaging in discriminatory practices.
Thanks to sustained monitoring by a coalition of human rights NGOs and lawsuits initiated by the Ombudsman, all “LGBT-free zones” have now been repealed. Several resolutions were annulled by courts, and the Supreme Administrative Court dismissed all appeals, upholding the annulments.
“I am very glad that this stage is coming to an end,” said Jakub Gawron of the “Hate Atlas” organization. “But that does not change the fact that these resolutions should not have been passed at all,” he added.
Fertility Rate Lowest Since WWII
According to Statistics Poland (GUS), Poland’s total fertility rate—the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime—fell to 1.11 in 2024. This is the lowest rate in the European Union and among the lowest in the developed world. Approximately 252,000 live births were recorded last year, more than 20,000 fewer than in 2023, marking the lowest number of births since World War II.
In 1989, Poland’s population was around 40 million. It has since declined to approximately 37.5 million. Experts warn that this continued drop could hinder economic growth, strain the pension system, and lead to workforce shortages. The broader EU is also facing demographic challenges. In 2023, the EU-wide fertility rate stood at just 1.38—its lowest on record—surpassing the previous low from 2001–2002, when it hovered around 1.43.
International Relations
Exhumations Begin in Volhynia
Poland and Ukraine have launched exhumation efforts in the Ukrainian village of Puzhnyky (Ternopil region) to recover the remains of Polish victims of the Volhynia Massacre. This initiative marks the first such effort since 2017, when Ukraine imposed a moratorium in response to the destruction of Ukrainian Insurgent Army memorials in Poland.
The exhumation issue has long been a source of political tension between the two countries, often exploited by Russian propaganda to drive a wedge between Warsaw and Kyiv. Heightened sensitivity was expected around the 80th anniversary of the Volhynia Massacre in 2023. Several Polish politicians—particularly from PiS and the Confederation party—have argued that Poland should block Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO until the matter is addressed.
The agreement to resume exhumations is a significant step toward genuine dialogue between the two nations, though it has reignited nationalist rhetoric on both sides. “We found the right formula—that we will not bargain over the dead, but both sides will fulfill their Christian duty,” said Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
The exhumation efforts are being carried out by a team of about 20 forensic experts, archaeologists, and geneticists, supported by roughly 50 specialists handling DNA analysis. Polish participants include experts from the Pomeranian Medical University, the Institute of National Remembrance, and the Freedom and Democracy Foundation. Ukrainian researchers from the Society of Volhynia Antiquities are also involved. Poland has submitted 13 requests for exhumations, including cases related to Stalinist crimes and the 1939 defensive war.
The Volhynia Massacre involved a series of ethnic cleansings carried out by Ukrainian nationalists against Polish civilians, culminating in the summer of 1943. The violence, which particularly targeted women and children, resulted in the deaths of approximately 100,000 people.
Politics
Polish Government-in-Exile?
Marcin Romanowski, a former Deputy Justice Minister in the PiS government and now facing serious corruption charges, has been employed in Budapest by the Center for Fundamental Rights, an organization heavily funded by Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party. He was appointed head of the newly established Hungarian-Polish Institute of Freedom.
The institute’s website states that it was founded “to explore the enduring values that form the foundation of our legal and political systems, and which have united our countries across centuries and political regimes.” However, just a few sentences later, it becomes clear that the institute is essentially the Hungarian voice of Poland’s right wing, which was pushed into opposition following the October 2023 parliamentary elections.
In Poland, Romanowski has been charged with 11 counts related to his oversight of the Justice Fund, including participation in an organized criminal group, abuse of power, and causing significant damage to the state treasury—estimated at PLN 112 million (ca. EUR 26 million). After fleeing to Hungary, he was granted asylum. Polish police had been searching for him after a court approved a request for his detention. Prosecutors subsequently issued a European Arrest Warrant (read more in the December 2024 issue).
Romanowski’s new employer compared him to refugees from the 1939 German-Soviet invasion of Poland: “Just as 86 years ago Hungary opened its heart to Polish refugees, so it does again today. The Institute is now headed by Marcin Romanowski, a lawyer and former Deputy Minister of Justice, who has found refuge in Hungary.” If that weren’t controversial enough, PiS MP Sebastian Kaleta suggested that Romanowski “may be forming a Polish government-in-exile.” Politicians from the ruling coalition commented that it’s only natural for figures like Romanowski to find support from Orbán, Lukashenka, and—de facto—Putin.
European Affairs
First Decade of the 3SI
The 10th annual Three Seas Initiative (3SI) Summit, held at Warsaw’s Royal Castle, focused on strengthening regional ties and ensuring energy security. “Today, the Three Seas region is one of the fastest-growing in the world, with projected GDP growth of 35% by 2030. This cooperation is creating strategic transport routes such as Via Baltica, Rail Baltica, and Via Carpatia—corridors linking Central Europe with the rest of the continent and serving as gateways for investment from the Middle East and Africa,” President Duda said at the event.
Duda emphasized that, given the current political climate in Central and Eastern Europe, member states have intensified their focus on infrastructure and security. He noted that the 3SI now encompasses 140 major projects, two investment funds, and a wide network of partnerships and grassroots initiatives involving regional, academic, and economic cooperation.
The 3SI was initiated under the previous government and is now mainly driven by President Duda. The current government was not involved in organizing this year's event. Duda publicly criticized Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski for not mentioning the 3SI in his recent foreign policy address to the Sejm. Sikorski replied that he knew little about the summit, as the President’s Office excluded the government from its preparations.
The initiative includes 13 EU member states—Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Greece—alongside associated countries Ukraine and Moldova. This year, Montenegro and Albania joined as associated countries, and Turkey and Spain became strategic partners, marking the forum’s largest expansion to date. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright also attended (though PiS expressed disappointment at the low rank of the U.S. delegation), along with ambassadors from Germany and Japan.
The 3SI was launched by Polish President Andrzej Duda and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar–Kitarović during a 2015 UN General Assembly meeting. That year is considered the beginning of Three Seas Cooperation, with the first summit held in Dubrovnik in 2016.
Culture
Bestseller Clause
Poland hasn’t seen a literary hit of this scale in years. Joanna Kuciel-Frydryszak’s Chłopki (Peasant Women) has remained among the country’s top bestsellers for two years. By the end of 2024, publisher Marginesy announced it had sold more than 500,000 copies. The book has won numerous awards and was voted among the top three books in Gazeta Wyborcza’s “Book of the Quarter Century” poll.
Chłopki is a non-fiction account of rural women’s lives in pre-WWII Poland. The historical reportage draws from stories passed down in families, written by women themselves or recounted by their descendants. “Chłopki is the first book to so thoroughly explore the lives of women from the popular classes, and we clearly have an appetite for women’s stories,” said the author. “I also wrote it in a way that would reach a broader audience, including people who aren’t typically interested in history.”
The book is seen as part of a broader “people’s turn” in Polish literature, focusing on the rural roots of Polish society—a sharp contrast to the traditional narrative of Polish history centered on the nobility. Chłopki was the first major publication to spotlight women from this background, resonating with readers who recognized their own mothers and grandmothers in its pages. “I often hear that Chłopki restores dignity to these women. There’s a deep need among people from the popular classes to see their ancestors treated with justice—not with contempt, but with compassion or at least understanding,” the author added.
In a Forbes ranking of the highest-earning Polish writers, Kuciel-Frydryszak was estimated to have earned over PLN 900,000 (approx. EUR 210,000) in a single year. The publisher is already fielding offers from foreign markets. However, a recent public dispute over royalties has sparked nationwide debate.
Kuciel-Frydryszak announced she would take legal action against Marginesy, citing Article 44 of Polish copyright law, which allows authors to demand additional compensation if their original remuneration is disproportionately low compared to a work’s commercial success. Known as the “bestseller clause,” this legal tool is intended to protect creators whose works far exceed initial expectations.
A similar case involved The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski, who sold rights to his saga for PLN 35,000 in 1997 and later demanded PLN 60 million from game developer CD Projekt Red, citing the bestseller clause. The dispute ended in a confidential settlement.
Kuciel-Frydryszak’s decision has triggered a broader conversation about author compensation in Poland. More writers are revealing their earnings and calling for systemic reform. While a handful earn millions, most Polish authors struggle to make a living from their craft.
Economy
Repolonization of the Economy
Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced a shift in Poland’s economic policy, calling for a “repolonization” of the economy that prioritizes national interests over foreign partnerships. Declaring an “end to naive globalization,” he urged state-owned companies to favor Polish contractors and prioritize public interests—even at the cost of profits.
The government aims to move away from a passive stance and instead actively support the domestic economy, building strong foundations for growth based on Polish capital and entrepreneurship. Rather than embracing global processes uncritically, the new economic strategy seeks to empower national companies and deliver tangible benefits to citizens. This approach also requires strategic management of State Treasury companies, whose operations must balance profitability with long-term public goals and national economic security.
State institutions will now be required to select domestic suppliers whenever they offer comparable conditions. “Capital has a nationality, the economy has a nationality, and a manager of a state-run or co-managed company has a nationality. Our interests are red and white,” said the Prime Minister.
A cornerstone of this policy will be large-scale infrastructure and energy investments, to be executed—wherever possible—by Polish firms. One example is the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant, whose operator must allocate a significant portion of the project’s budget to contracts with domestic companies. Another priority is the revival of the country's industrial capacity.
11.5 Million Culled Birds
Outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu) have devastated Poland’s poultry sector, with infections also found in wild birds. As a countermeasure, the country has culled 11.5 million birds. According to the ministry, 7.5 million were culled from infected commercial farms, and an additional 4 million were culled as a precaution on 65 so-called contact farms.
Police have launched an investigation after more than 700 dead chickens infected with bird flu were found dumped in a forest in the Warmia-Masuria region of northern Poland. Lab tests confirmed the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain in their carcasses. It was not the only such case reported in the area.
Chief Veterinarian Krzysztof Jażdżewski commented: “We don’t have full data yet, but I can say that these are hundreds of millions in direct costs: killing, disposal, compensation, and the work of personnel responding to outbreaks.”
To stem the spread of the disease, Poland has introduced mandatory vaccination for chickens and turkeys on large farms and in hatcheries. In April, the European Commission approved Poland’s 13-point emergency response plan, offering a national alternative to stricter EU-wide control measures.
Poland & Germany
Top Polish Diplomat Criticizes New German Government on Migration
Germany’s incoming government, led by Friedrich Merz, plans to implement stricter migration policies starting May 6. Poland’s chargé d'affaires in Berlin, Jan Tombiński, has criticized these plans just days before the new administration takes office. “The current controls at the German-Polish border are already a problem for daily border traffic and the functioning of the EU internal market,” he said. The Chancellor’s CDU party has long advocated a tougher migration stance to counter the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
According to German data, between January 2024 and February 2025, Germany returned over 11,000 migrants to Poland who had unlawfully crossed the Polish-German border. Nearly half were Ukrainians (5,199), followed by Afghans (584) and Georgians (430). Migrants can be returned via the Dublin Regulation, the “readmission procedure,” or the border controls reintroduced by Germany in 2023 to curb illegal immigration.
The issue has become politically charged ahead of Poland’s May presidential elections. Right-wing parties accuse Germany of “dumping” migrants on Poland and claim the Tusk government is passive in the face of Berlin’s actions. In response, Prime Minister Tusk announced that Poland would stop complying with both the Dublin Regulation and its bilateral readmission agreement with Germany.
Gherkin Conspiracy
Gherkins have unexpectedly become a talking point in Poland’s presidential campaign and sparked a PiS-led attack on Germany. During a campaign rally, candidate Rafał Trzaskowski praised a particular Polish manufacturer’s cucumbers. Opponents quickly claimed the product was “made in Germany.”
Trzaskowski argued that Poland’s next president should champion Polish brands and promote local producers abroad. “The president should be an ambassador of Polish industry, of all Polish products, of Polish entrepreneurship,” he said. He then showcased a jar of gherkins, noting their success in global markets—even in Mongolia.
PiS attempted to ridicule Trzaskowski online, suggesting the cucumbers he endorsed were actually produced in Germany. These posts went viral, especially among right-wing users.
In response, the manufacturer clarified that the company is Polish and 99.7% of its production occurs in its factory in Łowicz, central Poland. Only one product—the sandwich cucumber—is produced abroad due to its unique local recipe. Trzaskowski later reposted the original jar, highlighting the “Product of Poland” label. “I never thought I’d have to explain this,” he remarked. “Instead of peddling conspiracies, just apologize to the Urbanek company of Łowicz. Or better yet—buy their products.”
Sports
Records: Barefoot and Sleepless
Polish policeman Łukasz Wróbel from Leszno has broken the Backyard Ultra world record by running continuously for nearly five days, covering a total of 777 km. He competed in the Legends Backyard Belgium event, completing a 6.706 km loop every hour for 116 consecutive hours—surpassing the previous world record of 110 loops.
In February, another Pole, Paweł Durakiewicz, set a Guinness World Record for the fastest 21 km barefoot run on ice. He completed the Lulea Sea Ice Half Marathon in Sweden in 1 hour, 50 minutes, and 29 seconds—beating the previous record by about 11 seconds. The event, one of only two half marathons in the world run entirely on frozen sea ice, took place in –10°C conditions.
Polls & Trends
Party Support
United Surveys for wp.pl, 28-29.04.2025
Civic Coalition 30,4%
PiS 27,3%
Confederation 14,4%
Third Way 8,8%
Left 6,8%
Together 3,8%
Presidential Race
Pollster for SuperExpress, 28-29.04.2025
Rafał Trzaskowski 33%
Karol Nawrocki 25%
Sławomir Mentzen 15%
Szymon Hołownia 8%
Adrian Zandberg 6%
Magdalena Biejat 4%
Grzegorz Braun 4%
Krzysztof Stanowski 2%
Artur Bartoszewicz 2%
Second round
Scenario 1:
Rafał Trzaskowski 54%
Karol Nawrocki 46%
Scenario 2:
Rafał Trzaskowski 57%
Sławomir Mentzen 43%