The Polish Business Council Foundation, along with the foundations of ORLEN and PKO BP, Rafał Brzoska’s company, and several real estate developers, are among the donors supporting the foundation “Your Voice Matters” – an organization running a smear campaign online. Moreover, the Polish Business Council Foundation is also the main partner of the “Latarnik Wyborczy” (Election Beacon), which has been accused by internet users of manipulation.
This involves videos published on platforms like YouTube. The “Your Voice Matters” channel has been active since September 2023, posting short, seconds-long clips. Their recurring theme is portraying opposition politicians and voters in a negative light, echoing the narrative of the ruling coalition. Over the past week alone, four new videos were released, showing people with black bars over their eyes talking about the “return of our law and justice” after the presidential elections.
A Wave of Hate and Disinformation
“There’s an unbelievable wave of hate, disinformation, and attacks on Karol Nawrocki. This hate is now everywhere. We looked into the videos that were released during Easter. They are being published by a foundation established in 2023 – ‘Your Voice Matters.’ We won’t let this go unanswered. We’ll look into who is supporting this foundation. It cannot be that PiS is punished for everything, while others get away with anything,” said former Speaker of the Sejm, Elżbieta Witek, at a Law and Justice (PiS) press conference.
Support from Developers and State-Owned Companies
Online users were quick to investigate. John Bingham revealed that these vulgar videos, masked as pro-turnout content, are backed by developers. The list of donors also includes Integer.pl, a company owned by Rafał Brzoska. In 2024, the “Your Voice Matters” foundation received donations from the foundations of Poland’s largest state-owned companies: Orlen – PLN 300,000; PKO BP Foundation – PLN 300,000; and the Polish Business Council Foundation – PLN 300,000.
Election Beacon Also Backed – With USAID Ties
The Polish Business Council Foundation is also the main partner of “Latarnik Wyborczy”, a tool designed to help voters identify their political preferences. However, many netizens and PiS politicians accuse it of manipulation. Among the foundation’s leadership is Wojciech Kostrzewa, former long-time CEO of ITI and a supervisory board member of the state-controlled Alior Bank and Gremi Media (publisher of Rzeczpospolita). He has also served on the board of Onet.pl.
Notably, Latarnik Wyborczy received significant funding from USAID. The German Marshall Fund (GMF) runs a five-year grant initiative called CEBRICS, funded by USAID, targeting Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland between 2022 and 2026. This program was recently halted by President Donald Trump.
On its website, GMF proudly states that it funded projects related to Poland’s 2023 parliamentary elections through USAID grants. Four grants totaling nearly $80,000 were awarded.
“The CEBRICS project contributed to the democratic outcome of these landmark elections and to the opportunity they presented for restoring liberal constitutionalism, rule of law, and pluralism in Poland,” GMF wrote in a surprisingly candid statement.
The money supported both the Latarnik Wyborczy tool and the “Become an Election Superhero” project, run by the Responsible Politics Foundation. According to GMF data, Latarnik was used by 5.6 million Poles, while the Superhero initiative reached 125,000 people.
PiS Politicians File Complaints
The “Your Voice Matters” foundation was already actively involved in disinformation campaigns in 2023. Its founder and true beneficiary is Tomasz Kurzewski, majority shareholder in ATM Grupa, which is connected to Echo 24, a television station operating in Lower Silesia. The foundation’s board also includes Marcin Jerzy Chmielewski, who is linked to the production company. In 2023, Echo 24 produced Civic Coalition (KO) election spots for hundreds of thousands of złoty.
PiS MPs have announced they will file complaints with the prosecutor’s office regarding illegal campaign financing, and also notify the National Electoral Commission (PKW).