President Karol Nawrocki met with Andrzej Gwiazda and Joanna Duda-Gwiazda in his hometown of Gdańsk, as he announced on social media. However, the post quickly drew attacking comments from well-known politicians of the ruling coalition.
“Beautiful weather in my hometown of Gdańsk and a visit to wonderful people – Joanna and Andrzej Gwiazda,” Nawrocki wrote yesterday afternoon on the platform X.
The president also added a photo—a selfie with Joanna and Andrzej Gwiazda.
December 13 coalition: “a studio apartment?”
Politicians of the so-called December 13 coalition did not miss the opportunity to launch attacks against the head of state. Referring to the well-known campaign narrative about a “studio apartment,” members of Donald Tusk’s camp reshared the president’s post with mocking additions.
Jakub Stefaniak, deputy head of the Prime Minister’s Office, wrote: “What’s the square footage? How many rooms?”
Magdalena Filiks, an MP from the Civic Coalition, made a similar comment: “A studio apartment or something bigger?”
Supporters of the ruling camp picked up on this narrative.
The behavior of coalition politicians and their supporters was commented on by Michał Bilewicz, a social psychologist who had previously been aligned in his views with Tusk’s camp. He called on politicians to “show decency.”
“The president is visiting unquestioned heroes of our recent history. And Twitter is swarming with idiotic comments about ‘studio apartments’ and ‘square footage.’ Let’s maintain a bit of decency, please,” he wrote.
“Excellent!”
Most social media users expressed approval of President Nawrocki’s visit to the Gwiazdas, recalling the important role they played in Poland’s path to freedom.
Andrzej Gwiazda and Joanna Duda-Gwiazda are among the most important figures of the early Solidarity movement. As early as 1978, they co-founded the Free Trade Unions of the Coast—the first independent labor organization in communist Poland. Both played key roles in the August 1980 strike at the Gdańsk Shipyard: Andrzej served as deputy chairman of the Inter-Enterprise Strike Committee, while Joanna was a member of its presidium. Together with others, they co-authored the famous 21 Gdańsk demands.
In 1980–1981, Andrzej Gwiazda served as deputy chairman of the National Coordinating Commission of Solidarity. During martial law, both were interned and persecuted for their opposition activities. After 1989, they did not enter mainstream politics and remained faithful to the values of the original Solidarity movement.