Bogucki denies replacing Czarnek as PiS PM candidate, says no such proposal exists

The report

On 22 July, journalist Robert Mazurek of Kanał Zero reported that Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jarosław Kaczyński had personally decided to replace the party's prime minister candidate. According to Mazurek, the new candidate would be Zbigniew Bogucki, the current head of President Karol Nawrocki's chancellery. Bogucki allegedly agreed after a conversation with Kaczyński, and President Nawrocki gave his blessing.

This is unofficial information, but certain.

The report said Bogucki would take over from Przemysław Czarnek, the former education minister who was announced as PiS's candidate for prime minister at a party convention in Kraków's "Sokół" hall in early March 2026. Bogucki, a lawyer and former voivode of West Pomerania, had been mentioned as a possible candidate before Czarnek was chosen.

Party spokesman pushes back

PiS spokesman Rafał Bochenek quickly rejected the story on social media platform X. He urged Mazurek to base his work on facts rather than "fantasy stories and whisperings of bad people."

The PiS candidate for prime minister is Prof. Przemysław Czarnek, and if we win the upcoming elections, he will become Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland. The scenario you are spinning is not being considered at all.

Bochenek's statement left no room for ambiguity: Czarnek remains the party's official choice.

Bogucki speaks: "I am and will be head of the chancellery"

Later that day, Zbigniew Bogucki appeared on Polsat News and addressed the speculation directly. He said he had just spoken with President Nawrocki about chancellery matters, constitutional issues, judges, and legislation, and that the president had made no arrangements regarding a change of candidate.

Today and in the coming months, in the near future, I was, I am and I will be the head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki.

Bogucki stressed that, according to the decisions of the PiS leadership, the candidate for prime minister is Przemysław Czarnek, whom he called a "dear friend." When asked whether he would accept a premiership proposal, he replied that he would answer "if such a proposal appears," adding that currently no such offer exists. He also dismissed the speculation as "completely untrue information" and said his priority is doing his job as head of the chancellery well.

Political backdrop and polling

Bogucki pointed to President Nawrocki's approval ratings, which he described as historically high at over 55% after one year in office, despite media and government attacks. Meanwhile, PiS itself is polling around 25% in most surveys, according to Radio Zet. The party had hoped that Czarnek, a professor at the Catholic University of Lublin and education minister from 2020 to 2023, would help regain voters who drifted to Confederation and Grzegorz Braun's movement. However, the so-called "Czarnek effect" has not materialised, and some commentators argue that competing on radicalism with right-wing rivals is alienating more moderate voters.

Internal party tensions

The speculation about a candidate switch comes amid visible friction inside PiS. A meeting between former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jarosław Kaczyński is scheduled for Thursday, 23 July at noon. The talks may determine the future of Morawiecki's association and his continued membership in the party. Asked about the internal crisis, Bogucki declined to comment publicly, saying he would not be drawn into "public speculation about what is in the minds of Law and Justice."