The Polish political scene is entering a phase of intense personnel decisions within the United Right camp. The latest reports indicate that Jarosław Kaczyński has decided to nominate a candidate for prime minister, who is to be Lucjusz Nadbereżny, the mayor of Stalowa Wola. Simultaneously, polls show a sharp rise in support for Grzegorz Braun's factions, casting doubt on the PiS leader's declarations about ruling out a future coalition with the radical right wing.

Nomination of Lucjusz Nadbereżny

The Mayor of Stalowa Woli is being tipped by Jarosław Kaczyński as the candidate for prime minister, which is intended to refresh PiS's image.

Rise in Support for the Radical Right

Grzegorz Braun's factions are gaining support at the expense of PiS, forcing the opposition to revise its electoral strategy.

The Issue of a Polish Nuclear Bomb

Most Poles in polls support acquiring nuclear weapons, which is becoming a new line of political division.

Skepticism Towards the PiS Leader's Declarations

Voters do not believe Kaczyński's assurances about no coalition with Braun, predicting a post-election alliance.

The latest series of polls and reports from the corridors of the party on Nowogrodzka Street herald a deep image reconstruction for the largest opposition party. United Right is preparing to officially announce its candidate for prime minister, which is to happen this very week. Jarosław Kaczyński's main favorite has become Lucjusz Nadbereżny, the mayor of Stalowa Woli, who is to serve as the "new face" of the party. This choice is seen as an attempt to escape the negative electorate of Mateusz Morawiecki, who is burdened by the baggage of eight years in government. Nadbereżny, building an image of an efficient local government official close to the people, is to attract centrist voters while not alienating the hardcore conservative electorate. The situation is complicated, however, by the dynamic growth in support for Confederation, especially the faction of Grzegorz Braun. According to analyses by Prof. Antoni Dudek, the campaign led by Karol Nawrocki has led to a shift of some voters towards more radical positions. Currently, the combined support for Braun's parties exceeds the ratings of Law and Justice itself in some rankings. In this context, Jarosław Kaczyński's declarations about ruling out cooperation with Braun are met with great skepticism. Public opinion polls indicate that most Poles consider these assurances unrealistic, expecting a post-election agreement to remove the current ruling coalition from power. The tradition of appointing "technocratic" or lesser-known candidates to high office by Jarosław Kaczyński dates back to 2015, when a similar maneuver with Andrzej Duda and Beata Szydło brought the party a double electoral victory.Simultaneously, public debate focuses on strategic security issues, including the idea of Poland joining the nuclear sharing program. Polls show that the idea of possessing nuclear weapons is gaining wider support in Poland, although voters' motivations are strongly correlated with their political sympathies. Surprisingly, respondents in a direct comparison of Karol Nawrocki and Donald Tusk often rate the former's potential higher in terms of safeguarding national interests. Such polarization of opinion makes it difficult to develop a unified state position on key geopolitical issues, while parties prepare for a decisive battle for undecided voters' votes. „Luckiem byłem, Luckiem jestem i Luckiem pozostanę” (I was Luck, I am Luck, and I will remain Luck) — Lucjusz Nadbereżny

Mentioned People

  • Jarosław Kaczyński — Chairman of Law and Justice, responsible for personnel nominations within the party.
  • Lucjusz Nadbereżny — Mayor of Stalowa Wola, mentioned as the main PiS candidate for the office of prime minister.
  • Grzegorz Braun — Leader of the radical wing of Confederation, recording a rise in support in polls.
  • Karol Nawrocki — President of the IPN, whose media activity influences the radicalization of the right-wing electorate.
  • Donald Tusk — Prime Minister of Poland, leader of the Civic Coalition, evaluated in polls in contrast to right-wing candidates.
  • Antoni Dudek — Political scientist, professor of social sciences, commenting on shifts in the electorate.