Marcin Kierwiński secured 95 percent of the vote in the March election for chairman of Civic Platform (PO) in Warsaw. Rafał Trzaskowski did not even attempt to run. Meanwhile, in the Mazovia region, Jan Grabiec, head of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Chancellery, was elected chairman. In practice, Trzaskowski no longer holds real power even in the capital itself. “There was a man, and now he’s gone. They gave him nothing, not even symbolically. He thought he had people in Civic Platform in Ursynów. He had no idea that in reality he had none, because they also made deals with Kierwiński. All the district mayors are aligning themselves with Kierwiński and Jarek Szostakowski”, said a source quoted by Gazeta Polska.
In recent weeks, Rafał Trzaskowski has reappeared in the media after a long absence. Not in a particularly original way, however, as he has begun repeating attacks on President Karol Nawrocki that he used during the presidential campaign: “That’s what President Nawrocki is like, as we’ve recently seen. ‘I’ll get inside your head’ – that’s roughly how he speaks to journalists. It’s quite an interesting approach to journalism and freedom of speech”, he said.
Kierwiński Set to Become Warsaw Mayor
Where does this sudden activity come from? Why is Trzaskowski repeating a strategy that already led to defeat? Sources of Gazeta Polska have no doubt that it is his only remaining way to stay relevant in politics after being sidelined within his own party. “The presidency of Warsaw is a springboard to becoming President of Poland. Rafał tried to jump off that springboard twice and both attempts failed. You can’t be a wunderkind for 10 years. And how strong that springboard is can be seen in the fact that Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, despite scandals, became an MEP practically without running any campaign”, said a person familiar with Trzaskowski.
According to the same source, a decision has already been made within Civic Platform (PO) that Trzaskowski will not remain mayor of Warsaw for another term. “Rafał’s successor is to be Marcin Kierwiński, who is already being called the ‘super-mayor’. Not Aleksandra Gajewska”, the source claims. Why is Trzaskowski losing influence within the party? “He never knew how to build a hard political structure or strong organizational backing”, said another source quoted by Gazeta Polska.
Nitras Marginalized
One sign of Trzaskowski’s declining influence is the marginalization of his key campaign strategist, Sławomir Nitras. Known for aggressive attacks on Law and Justice (PiS) and remarks about “trimming down Catholics,” the politician has reportedly taken the situation hard. “It’s painful to look at him. When Nitras recently appeared with a long beard, I didn’t even recognize him”, said a Gazeta Polska source.
Similarly, Andrzej Stankiewicz from Onet wrote about Nitras’s decline: “He’s broken. He lost a presidential election that was his to win. Nobody knows him anymore. People don’t even recognize Trzaskowski”.
In March, elections were held in the Mazovian and Warsaw branches of Civic Platform (PO). Marcin Kierwiński, head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration and the party’s secretary general, became the leader of the Warsaw county structures with 95 percent of the vote.
Szostakowski Pulls the Strings
Kierwiński’s right-hand man is Warsaw city councilor Jarosław Szostakowski, who began his career in the Freedom Union. He has become secretary of the party’s Warsaw structures and is effectively in charge of distributing positions in the capital.
His influence was evident during the first attempt to introduce nighttime alcohol prohibition in Warsaw. Trzaskowski supported it, but Szostakowski opposed it. “We should solve problems, not introduce ideologically driven solutions. The left has a long history of introducing alcohol sales bans in Poland. The longest one, in the 1980s, was introduced by Jaruzelski’s communist government”, he argued in the Warsaw City Council. The council ultimately rejected the proposal.
“The prohibition issue may have seemed minor, but it had major political consequences. It showed that everything is controlled by Jarek Szostakowski, that nothing can be done without him. Rafał didn’t draw a line in the sand – in fact, he didn’t even try to oppose him”, said a Gazeta Polska informant.
Moreover, Szostakowski allegedly retaliated against councilors outside Civic Platform (PO) who opposed his decisions. As reported by Gazeta Wyborcza, activists protesting nighttime alcohol noise distributed empty miniature alcohol bottles with councilors’ photos attached during a session. In response, Civic Platform dismissed opposition councilors from leadership positions in committees and the council presidency, which also had financial consequences.
“Censor” of the City Council
Trzaskowski has not challenged Szostakowski in this or other matters because, after losing the presidential election, his faction effectively ceased to exist. “There was a man, and now he’s gone. They gave him nothing, not even symbolically…”, repeated a source quoted by Gazeta Polska.
Szostakowski is reportedly referred to as a “censor” in the council, known for cutting off debates on issues inconvenient for the ruling Civic Platform (PO). Following a conflict with him, councilor Paweł Lech left the party. He was known for appearances on TV Republika.
Szostakowski also allegedly pressured Trzaskowski to avoid naming a Warsaw street after President Lech Kaczyński at a time when Trzaskowski was campaigning for president and seeking moderate voters.
Particular outrage was sparked by Szostakowski’s conduct in 2021, when Civic Platform (PO) combined two motions into a single vote: awarding honorary citizenship of Warsaw to tenant activist Jolanta Brzeska, murdered in a reprivatization-related crime, and to former Constitutional Tribunal president Andrzej Rzepliński. Szostakowski moved to close the debate before it even began. “None of the candidates deserves for their nomination to be used as a platform for attacks. Last year showed that not everyone understands this. Therefore, I move to close the debate. Councilors will express their opinion in the vote”, he said. The council, where Civic Platform (PO) holds a majority, approved the motion.
It is also worth noting that Magdalena Roguska, a close associate of Kierwiński and a deputy interior minister, became vice-chair of Civic Platform (PO) in Warsaw.
Trzaskowski Like the Mayor of Radom
In Mazovia, Civic Platform (PO) is now led by Jan Grabiec, a close ally of Tusk and head of the Prime Minister’s Office, known for handling difficult political tasks. He recently demanded the return of funds spent on volunteer training before elections by the Fundacja Niezależne Media, which supports TV Republika. “I wish him success, energy, and many good decisions for Mazovia and for our shared work”, Szostakowski said after Grabiec’s victory.
Grabiec has also been known for downplaying the reprivatization scandal. “Those responsible for the reprivatization scandal are those who acted dishonestly. Politicians from Law and Justice (PiS), instead of launching a witch hunt against Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, should allow prosecutors to do their job calmly”, he said.
Trzaskowski became a member of the Mazovian board of Civic Platform (PO) but did not take on any function, such as vice-chairman. He therefore holds the same position as, for example, Radosław Witkowski, the mayor of Radom.