Kaczyński leads poll on right-wing leadership after PiS split, but 42% undecided
A new survey shows 20% see Jarosław Kaczyński as the main right-wing leader after the PiS fracture, with President Karol Nawrocki at 18%. The Political Committee meets today to expel over 30 MPs.
Poll results
A survey by Instytut Badań Pollster for the daily "Super Express", conducted on 24–25 July 2026 on a representative sample of 1,013 adult Poles, asked: "After the split in Law and Justice, who will now be the main leader of the right?" The largest share, 42%, chose "don't know/no opinion". Among those who named a figure, Jarosław Kaczyński led with 20%, followed by President Karol Nawrocki at 18%. Former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki was third with 9%. Confederation's Sławomir Mentzen received 7%, and Grzegorz Braun 3%. One percent indicated someone else.
- Jarosław Kaczyński
- 20 %
- Karol Nawrocki
- 18 %
- Mateusz Morawiecki
- 9 %
- Sławomir Mentzen
- 7 %
- Grzegorz Braun
- 3 %
- Someone else
- 1 %
- Don't know / no opinion
- 42 %
The poll also broke down responses among PiS voters. In that group, Kaczyński's lead widened: 34% saw him as the right's leader, 26% chose Nawrocki, and 9% Morawiecki. The survey was fielded just days after the PiS leadership issued an ultimatum to members to renounce membership in politically active associations, a move aimed at Morawiecki's "Rozwój Plus" group.
The split in PiS
The Political Committee of Law and Justice is meeting today to approve the expulsion of more than 30 parliamentarians associated with "Rozwój Plus". The ultimatum required MPs and senators to declare they do not belong to such associations. Morawiecki and his allies refused, prompting the exclusion process. The PiS parliamentary club currently numbers 186 MPs. Morawiecki's circle includes about 40 MPs, a senator, and three MEPs. Their removal would reshape the Sejm's arithmetic. The fracture is the latest in a series of divisions on the Polish right, following the earlier split in the Confederation party.
- Pollster survey of 1,013 adults begins (24–25 July)
- Morawiecki announces 'Rozwój Plus' will meet after committee session and may form new club
- PiS Political Committee votes on expulsion of over 30 MPs
What the leaders say
Kaczyński, in an interview with wPolsce24 last Thursday, was blunt about Morawiecki's position.
Morawiecki is certainly not one of the leaders of our party because he did not sign the appropriate document. The prime minister resigned. Earlier, during three important conversations we had, he suggested a split. What he says now surprises me a bit. I know what politics is, and it's not a big surprise.
Morawiecki, speaking on TV Republika, rejected the idea of a single dominant figure.
There is no hegemon on the Polish right. We must learn to cooperate.
He described right-wing disputes as "family quarrels" and contrasted them with the fight against Donald Tusk's government, which he called a defence of Poland from devastation.
What happens next
The Political Committee, which includes over 50 members including Morawiecki and other "Rozwój Plus" figures, will vote on the expulsion resolution today. If it passes, the excluded parliamentarians must leave the proceedings. Morawiecki announced on Monday evening that his association would convene after the committee session and, if its members are removed, they will form a new parliamentary club. A club requires at least 15 MPs, a threshold his group easily surpasses.
The high share of undecided respondents (42%) reflects the uncertainty as the right-wing camp fragments. President Nawrocki, who will soon mark his first year in office, has seen his standing rise. The poll was taken before today's decisive vote, and the landscape may shift further once the new parliamentary alignments become clear.
