Poland: opposition Law and Justice choses its candidate for presidential election

Poland’s main opposition party, Law and Justice, has decided on a presidential candidate and will announce on Sunday that it will support a non-partisan candidate in the election.

PiS spokesman Rafal Bochenek made this announcement, according to RMF 24.

According to the spokesman, in Krakow “a decision will be announced to support a non-partisan candidate for the post of president of the Republic of Poland, recommended by a team appointed for this purpose.”

According to media reports, this candidate is expected to be the president of the Institute of National Remembrance, Karol Nawrocki.

The spokesperson added that the announcement will take place in the same location where Law and Justice nominated Andrzej Duda as its presidential candidate ten years ago.

Law and Justice has recently considered three candidates who could run in the election. These are Karol Nawrocki, head of the Institute of National Remembrance; Przemysław Czarnek, former Minister of Education; and Tobiasz Boсhenski, a member of the European Parliament and former candidate for mayor of Warsaw. Navrotskш and Czarneck were in the final round for the nomination.

Polish media reported that Nawrocki would be the PiS candidate. According to the media, he will run as a non-partisan candidate, and the PiS party will support him.

Several months ago, PiS created a special team to select a presidential candidate. It was headed by party leader Jarosław Kaczyński. The party also commissioned numerous studies to evaluate potential candidates; there were a dozen of them at the start. Therefore, the decision is based on this research.

Poland will hold its presidential election in May 2025. Donald Tusk’s ruling Civic Coalition is also going to announce its presidential candidate. Party activists in the primaries are choosing between Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. 

In terms of support, the Warsaw mayor currently leads the Polish foreign minister in polls.

On December 7, in Silesia, the Civic Coalition’s elected presidential candidate will present his program.