From one debate to the next, Donald Tusk’s candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski, appears to be faring worse and worse. Friday’s showdown of presidential hopefuls on his chosen TV channel did nothing to improve the image of Karol Nawrocki’s rival.
After a string of embarrassing blunders in earlier debates and a lackluster first round, Trzaskowski was expected to rebound. This time, he had the home advantage—his own network, on his own terms. His political sponsor, Donald Tusk—currently serving as Poland’s Prime Minister—was no doubt hoping for a breakthrough. But that breakthrough never came. On the contrary, the one-on-one format only highlighted what had been less noticeable when his remarks were diluted among the chorus of 11 other candidates.
MONOTONY. Trzaskowski began almost every statement with the word “false.” He repeated it ad nauseam, as if trying to wish away a reality that now speaks so loudly around ordinary Poles that it can no longer be denied—or even drowned out.
FICTION. Trzaskowski rambled through topics with no grasp of the facts. In an effort to lend credibility to his vague claims—lacking numbers, substance, or real-world grounding—he contorted his face into an awkward attempt at a cheerful smile. The result backfired. Noticing this, Nawrocki offered a lifeline: “Imagine you’re 40 meters underwater, Mr. Trzaskowski. Try to relax.”
LANGUAGE. The sheer range of topics Trzaskowski tried to address only further exposed a glaring weakness: his impoverished vocabulary. His lack of expression left viewers speechless. It’s astonishing that someone with such a limited command of language has managed to become the mayor of Poland’s capital city.
Examples of his weak LANGUAGE and MONOTONY are found in nearly all of his statements. As for FICTION, the best example comes from a short exchange on foreign policy:
Rafał Trzaskowski: “You don’t know what you’re talking about. When it comes to relations with the United States, we’ve had many, many years of talks, contacts, and very concrete solutions.”
Karol Nawrocki: “So where were you? Who did you speak to?”
Rafał Trzaskowski had no answer.