The controversy surrounding an online smear campaign against right-wing presidential candidates continues to escalate, particularly as it emerges that the campaign praised Rafał Trzaskowski. It has now been revealed that the people behind it were associated with the Akcja Demokracja foundation, led by Jakub Kocjan—a figure with close ties to Civic Platform (PO) politicians. Recently, Kocjan was spotted attending the birthday celebration of a well-known pro-Russian activist and journalist, Piotr Nowak.
As reported by Wirtualna Polska, the political ads promoting Trzaskowski and attacking his rivals were disseminated by employees and volunteers of Akcja Demokracja. Tens of thousands of zlotys—of unknown origin—were allegedly spent on the campaign. The foundation’s director, Jakub Kocjan, is a former assistant to a Civic Coalition MP and was awarded a prize in 2020 by the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski.
Comrade from “Strajk”
On Tuesday, the portal Nowy Obywatel took a closer look at Kocjan’s connections, spotlighting his relationship with Piotr Nowak. The outlet published a photo of them together at Nowak’s 40th birthday party and highlighted aspects of the activist’s background.
“After Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine, Nowak—who identifies as a leftist—participated in an ‘anti-war’ rally alongside the pro-Russian far right. Outside the Ukrainian embassy, they called for peace. Yes, at the Ukrainian embassy—not the Russian one. Alongside Nowak, speakers included Mateusz Piskorski, Bartosz Bekier, and other openly pro-Russian figures,” the article reads.
According to Nowy Obywatel, Nowak was also a key journalist at the radical left-wing portal Strajk, launched after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The site has been labeled as one of Poland’s main platforms for pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian content, echoing Kremlin propaganda and even peddling conspiracy theories, apologetics for Vladimir Putin, and complaints about his “unfair” treatment in Western narratives.
“Nowak was one of the portal’s leading figures. He continued working there even after Russia’s second invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but eventually disappeared from the editorial team—likely due to funding drying up because of the war. As recently as autumn 2021, just months before the invasion, a Strajk representative was warmly welcomed in Moscow by infamous Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova,” the portal added.
Work at “Reset Obywatelski”
Nowak is currently producing video content for Reset Obywatelski, a media project supported by, among others, Tomasz Piątek—known for his relentless search for Russian influence and hostility toward Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party. Nowak was also among the “independent journalists” who prepared reports and analyses for the Ministry of Justice. For one such project, he received 8,000 złoty from the ministry, now led by Adam Bodnar.
“Yet somehow, he failed to uncover the long-standing pro-Russian propaganda of his own former colleague at Strajk,” Nowy Obywatel notes.
Nowak remains active at Reset Obywatelski. Just before the first round of the presidential election, he published a video interview with Piotr Szumlewicz in which the two criticized none other than… Karol Nawrocki.