Yesterday’s debates in Końskie had two clear winners: Karol Nawrocki and Szymon Hołownia. However, Marek Jakubiak, Joanna Senyszyn, and Krzysztof Stanowski also gained from the event. The only obvious loser was Rafał Trzaskowski.
Nawrocki came out on top because the attempt by Trzaskowski’s campaign to lure him into a trap backfired completely—for both Trzaskowski and the soon-to-be-defunct television station involved. Nawrocki benefited from taking part in a debate held in a region known for its conservative leanings, something clearly visible in the town square. Moreover, it was his first appearance on pro-government TV channels, which helped soften his public image. His symbolic attack on Trzaskowski using the rainbow flag struck a painful blow. Despite trying to repeat Duda’s 2015 playbook, Trzaskowski failed to handle the situation. What proved critical was that the debate hosted by Republika and other right-wing stations drew significantly more attention—and Trzaskowski simply wasn’t there.
As for the Speaker, we saw Hołownia for the first time act like a true political player. He took a risk by appearing before a conservative audience, genuinely helping Republika break through the media bubble. Trzaskowski, along with the inept team at the floundering “TVP in disgrace,” was forced to suddenly change format and wait for Republika’s debate to end—only to deliver a painfully dull and embarrassing show.
Why the sudden shift from Hołownia? He realized Tusk was already sidelining him. He’s on the verge of losing his position as Speaker, his entire political group is facing collapse, and he risked ending up with support levels like Kidawa-Błońska. Now, he has a shot at gaining ground at the expense of Trzaskowski—and Mentzen, who was absent through no fault of his own.
Aside from Trzaskowski, the biggest loser was the media apparatus of the Third Republic that supports him. The biggest winners were TV Republika and the two other conservative channels that co-hosted the town square debate. Something shifted in Poland yesterday…