Just moments before the start of the presidential debate organized by the TVP currently under liquidation a set of questions began circulating among journalists—questions identical to those later posed live by moderator Dorota Wysocka-Schnepf. According to the news outlet Niezalezna.pl, the incident raises serious concerns about the transparency of the event and the possibility that certain candidates may have been given an unfair advantage.
Questions Leaked Before the Debate? Suspicions of a Scripted Narrative
Niezalezna.pl reports that the questions asked by Wysocka-Schnepf—a TVP journalist and wife of a diplomat with close ties to the Civic Coalition—were known before the broadcast began. The portal claims that these questions were widely shared in journalistic circles prior to being aired, fueling speculation about pre-arranged messaging and potential bias.
This revelation raises pressing questions about equal opportunity and the integrity of what is supposed to be a mandatory and neutral presidential debate.
“It could mean that campaign teams had access to the questions beforehand—particularly those with whom the network appears to sympathize,”
Niezalezna.pl commented.
Loaded Questions Raise Eyebrows
Two specific questions reportedly circulating ahead of the debate are drawing the most attention due to their framing and suggestive tone:
Domestic Policy:
“Poland is experiencing a dramatic depopulation. In 75 years, our population could fall below 20 million. At the same time, research shows that Polish women are opting out of motherhood due to fear of anti-abortion laws that threaten their lives. Therefore, the demographic crisis is directly linked to these laws. What will you do to change this?”
Foreign Policy:
“Donald Trump has imposed 20% tariffs on all EU goods, including those from Poland. After the EU announced retaliatory measures, he suspended the tariffs for three months pending negotiations. If they are implemented, they will hit our wallets hard—prices in Poland will rise. How should Europe respond to Trump’s trade war?”
Critics argue that the ideological framing and implicit assumptions in both questions suggest a deliberate attempt to steer the narrative and prompt specific answers.
Did Campaigns Get a Head Start? Spotlight on Trzaskowski’s Team
The incident raises not only concerns about media leaks but also suspicions that the questions may have been shared with political campaign teams—especially that of Rafał Trzaskowski, the candidate backed by government-aligned circles and media close to Donald Tusk’s political camp.
Given that the moderator is known to have political affiliations, questions are mounting about the fairness and neutrality of the debate—an event meant to be impartial and hosted by public media, even one officially “in liquidation” and widely considered to have lost its credibility.
Jarosław Olechowski, Program Director at Telewizja Republika, weighed in on the matter, posting a frustrated reaction along with a screenshot of the leaked questions circulating among journalists:
“Karwasz, I can’t believe it… they didn’t even change them. What amateurs—Sygut and Grzegorz Sajor.”
Karwasz, nie wierzę… nie zmienili 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 co to są za nieudacznicy Sygut i @GrzegorzSajor https://t.co/g9C65XxB8Z
— Jarek Olechowski (@OlechowskiJarek) May 12, 2025
This alleged leak, combined with the moderator’s political ties and the tone of the questions, has cast a shadow over the debate’s legitimacy and fueled further controversy in an already polarized election season.