Legendary representatives of the democratic opposition active under communism have called on Rafał Trzaskowski, the Civic Coalition’s candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Poland, not to segregate or attack media outlets. Their statement takes the form of an exceptionally strong open letter.
In this letter, the oppositionists recall Poland’s fight for independence and the historic movement that was Solidarity. They appeal to all presidential candidates to conduct an honest election campaign. They specifically urge Rafał Trzaskowski to refrain from using his influence over public media and to ask his own security detail to avoid any form of violence.
A further powerful request to Trzaskowski is that he not avoid debates in the studios of various television and radio stations. It is worth noting that TV Republika’s debate is scheduled for tomorrow at 8:00 p.m., yet Trzaskowski has not confirmed his attendance.
“Excluding editorial offices that happen to be critical is a denial of the essence of democracy,” the opposition figures write. Below is the full text of the letter.
Open Letter from Democratic Opposition Activists of the PRL Era
For several decades under the communist regime, millions of Poles were engaged in the struggle for independence and the restoration of democracy in our country. Solidarity was an extraordinary outpouring of freedom that inspired countless of our fellow citizens and emboldened them to stand up against the communist authorities. As leaders of that movement—members of the democratic resistance during the People’s Republic of Poland—we are watching current events in Poland with great concern. Many of us have taken part in demonstrations to defend human rights and freedom of speech.
As the heirs to the legacy of the Free Trade Unions, NSZZ Solidarność, and Fighting Solidarity, we feel duty-bound to appeal to all candidates for the presidency of the Republic of Poland to observe the principles of a fair election campaign. We demand equal treatment of journalists, an end to segregating editorial offices, and above all, that candidates condemn the use of force against media representatives carrying out their mission on behalf of the public. We address this message especially to Mr. Rafał Trzaskowski, who represents the largest governing party, calling on him to refrain from leveraging his influence over public media and urging his physical security to refrain from any use of violence.
There can be no democracy without freedom of speech; there can be no fair election campaign without equal treatment of all media outlets. Therefore, we appeal to all candidates—and in particular to Mr. Rafał Trzaskowski—to engage in dialogue with journalists from every outlet and not to avoid debates in the studios of different television and radio stations. Excluding editorial offices critical of one’s campaign runs counter to the very essence of democracy.
Such exclusion undermines democracy, cutting citizens off from the chance to accurately assess candidates’ platforms and ultimately discouraging them from participating in public life and elections. We implore you not to continue down the path of discriminating against the media, and we call on you to uphold the principles of a democratic state under the rule of law.
Signatories:
- Joanna Duda-Gwiazda
- Andrzej Gwiazda
- Krzysztof Wyszkowski
- Andrzej Kołodziej
- Bronisław Wildstein
- Jan Krzysztof Kelus
- Adam Borowski
- Ryszard Majdzik
- Jadwiga Chmielowska
- Andrzej Szkaradek
- Zdzisław Szczur
- Jan Nowak
- Robert Szczurek
- Marek Byrgiel
- Zbigniew Sikorski
- Adam Szostek
- Tadeusz Jodłowski
- Piotr Hlebowicz
- Karol Gwoździewicz
- Krzysztof Łucyk
- Ewa Lipniewicz
- Janina Reliszko
- Zdzisław Janeczek
- Andrzej Michałowski
- Czesław Nowak
- Andrzej Osipow
- Stanisław Fudakowski
- Jerzy Langer
- Roman Bielański