Recall petition against Warsaw mayor Trzaskowski gathers 27,500 signatures in a week
A citizens' initiative has collected 27,500 signatures in just over a week to force a recall referendum against Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, with a deadline of 28 September to reach the approximately 132,000 needed.
Petition campaign launches
A citizens' initiative called the Stołeczna Operacja Referendalna (SOR) began collecting signatures on 30 July to force a recall referendum against Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and the city council. The drive is led by Maciej Wilk, head of the Fundacja Polskiego Rozwoju, who announced on 10 August via the social media platform X that 27,500 signatures had been gathered in just over a week. Volunteers in orange vests and caps staff collection points across the city each day, with locations shifting daily and new sites opening regularly. On 11 August, collection points included Plac Bankowy, the "Patelnia" area near Metro Centrum, Metro Imielin on Ursynów, and the Bazarek na Kole, among more than a dozen others. Residents can also download forms from the SOR website (sor.waw.pl), sign and return them by post, or bring them to the initiative's headquarters. Wilk reported that new volunteers are joining daily and that an increasing number of signatures are arriving by mail.
What the organisers want
The campaign accuses Trzaskowski of treating Warsaw as a stepping stone to national office, citing his two presidential campaigns in 2020 and 2025, during which organisers say he neglected city duties without taking unpaid leave. They argue Warsaw needs a mayor who is present, engaged, and focused on residents' affairs rather than one who merely "shows up" at city hall. Organisers list grievances including the Clean Transport Zone, street narrowing, spending on projects they deem unnecessary, disregard for residents' voices, irregularities in city-owned companies and institutions, unnecessary bureaucratic positions, prolonged investments, restrictions for drivers, and spatial chaos. The effort was inspired by a May 2026 referendum in Kraków that recalled mayor Aleksander Miszalski (KO), with early elections there scheduled for 27 September and a possible second round on 11 October.
27,500 signatures collected at collection points on the streets of Warsaw. The Capital Referendum Operation is gaining momentum.
High hurdles for validity
To trigger the referendum, organisers need approximately 132,000 signatures, representing 10% of Warsaw's eligible voters. The exact figure will be confirmed by an election commissioner. The collection deadline is 28 September. Even if that threshold is met, the referendum would only be binding if at least three-fifths of the number of people who voted in the last local elections participate, which translates to roughly 450,000 Warsaw residents. If sufficient signatures are gathered, the referendum could take place in October, with a campaign period followed by a possible vote on 13 December.
- Signature collection begins for recall referendum against Rafał Trzaskowski
- Maciej Wilk announces 27,500 signatures collected in just over a week
- Deadline for submitting the required 132,000 signatures
- Referendum could be organised in October if signature threshold is met
- Possible referendum vote date following campaign period
- Collected (as of 10 Aug)
- 27500
- Required (approx.)
- 132000
A failed precedent
Warsaw saw a similar recall attempt in October 2013, when a referendum was held to dismiss then-mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz. Organisers at the time cited poor public transport organisation, ticket price increases, waste collection chaos, and delays in key investments including the metro and the Northern Bridge. That vote was declared invalid due to low turnout: only 25.66% of eligible voters participated, falling short of the 30% threshold then in force. Trzaskowski, a member of Koalicja Obywatelska, has served as mayor since 2018. He lost presidential run-offs to Andrzej Duda in 2020 and to Karol Nawrocki in 2025.
