President of the Republic of Poland Karol Nawrocki attended the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games at San Siro Stadium, however, information about his presence did not appear in TVP’s broadcast. The president addressed the matter in a conversation with a TVN journalist. “I hope your station noticed my presence at the opening of the Olympic Games, because I heard that TVP did not,” said Karol Nawrocki.
The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games were officially opened during a ceremonial event at San Siro Stadium. The Games were inaugurated by the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.
A Polish delegation, including President Karol Nawrocki, took part in the opening ceremony. However, during the broadcast aired on TVP1, viewers were not informed about the head of state’s presence. The public broadcaster’s commentator only mentioned that the Minister of Sport and Tourism, Jakub Rutnicki, was attending the ceremony, noting that he represented the government and participated in meetings with other sports ministers.
A clip from the broadcast quickly began circulating on social media. Observers pointed out that the commentary failed to mention the presence of the President of Poland, even though Karol Nawrocki attended the ceremony alongside other world leaders.
The president himself commented on the situation in an interview with a TVN journalist.
“I hope your station noticed my presence at the opening of the Olympic Games, because I heard that TVP did not,”
he said.
He also added, in response to another question:
“I believe TVN viewers are convinced that it has been a good half-year for Poland, both domestically and on the international stage. I am satisfied with these past six months.”
The president’s presence at the inauguration of the Games was part of his several-day visit to Italy. The day after the opening ceremony, Karol Nawrocki visited Polish athletes at the Olympic Village in Milan, where, according to the Chancellery of the President, he spoke with competitors and expressed support for their performances.
During his stay in Milan, the president also held talks concerning future Olympic Games, declaring Poland’s readiness to apply to host an Olympic event in the coming years.