The Polish Business Council Foundation, along with the foundations of ORLEN and PKO BP, as well as real estate development companies, have been identified among the donors supporting the foundation Your Voice Matters, which is conducting a hate-driven online campaign. Members of the Law and Justice (PiS) party have announced that they will file a notification with the prosecutor’s office regarding the alleged illegal financing of an election campaign, as well as submit a complaint to the National Electoral Commission (PKW). “We are dealing with an absolutely scandalous situation—this is abnormal,” commented Andrzej Śliwka (PiS) on TV Republika.
Support from Developers and State-Owned Companies
The Polish Business Council Foundation, the ORLEN and PKO BP foundations, and various real estate development firms are among those that have financially supported the Your Voice Matters foundation, which has been running an online campaign described as hate-fueled. Notably, the Polish Business Council Foundation is also a primary partner of Latarnik Wyborczy (The Electoral Lighthouse), a platform accused by online users of manipulation.
The controversy centres on videos posted to platforms such as YouTube. The “Your Voice Matters” channel has been active since September 2023, publishing short videos, often under a minute long. The consistent theme across these clips is the negative portrayal of opposition politicians and voters, aligning with the messaging of the ruling coalition. In the past week alone, four new videos have emerged, featuring individuals with black bars obscuring their eyes, declaring the “return of our law and justice” following the presidential elections.
In 2024, Your Voice Matters received donations from the foundations of major Polish state-owned enterprises: ORLEN – 300,000 PLN; PKO BP Foundation – 300,000 PLN; and the Polish Business Council Foundation – also 300,000 PLN.
Legal Actions from PiS Politicians
The Your Voice Matters Foundation was highly active in a disinformation campaign as early as 2023. The actual founder and beneficiary of the foundation is Tomasz Kurzewski, who is the majority shareholder in ATM Grup, a company connected to the Echo 24 television network operating in Lower Silesia. Marcin Jerzy Chmielewski, also affiliated with the production company, sits on the foundation’s board. Echo 24 produced electoral ads for the Civic Coalition (KO) in 2023, costing hundreds of thousands of złoty.
Politicians from the Law and Justice Party (PiS) have declared that a report will be filed with the prosecutor’s office regarding illegal campaign financing, along with a notification to the National Electoral Commission (PKW).
Commenting on the matter on TV Republika, Andrzej Śliwka (PiS) stated:
“This is an abnormal situation, and that’s why we are filing a report with the prosecutor’s office concerning illegal campaign financing. Additionally, we will notify the PKW and send letters to the platforms hosting these videos—namely Google, which owns YouTube, as well as Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram.”
According to Śliwka, the situation is nothing short of scandalous:
“If anyone watches these videos, they will see that we are dealing with disinformation and a very aggressive, short-form message aimed at fostering contempt toward a certain social group, portraying them as an inferior part of both Poland and its society.”
Śliwka further stated:
“This scandal involves not just ORLEN and PKO BP. We will reach out to all other companies involved. According to whistleblower reports we have received, both KGHM and the PKO S.A. bank also supported Your Voice Matters.”
He concluded by highlighting the political connections of the foundation:
“It is indeed linked to the Civic Platform (PO), as the actual beneficiary of the foundation is Mr Tomasz Kurzewski, who, along with his family, supported PO during the campaign. If we examine those who have supported the foundation since its inception in March 2023, we find some very interesting individuals, including Piotr Krupa—the CEO of KRUK, Poland’s largest debt collection company.”