Warsaw councillors doubt petition will reach 132,000 signatures to recall Mayor Trzaskowski

The signature collection deadline

The civic initiative Stołeczna Operacja Referendalna has entered the final eight days of its signature drive to force a recall referendum against Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and the Warsaw City Council. Organizers launched their public petition on 30 July 2026 in the aftermath of a management controversy at Szpital Południowy. Under Polish municipal law, the committee must submit valid signatures from 10% of registered voters in the capital, establishing a requirement of approximately 132,000 signatures by 28 September 2026. On 15 September 2026, the campaign announced that it had collected approximately 100,000 signatures across the city. Organizers stated that their target is to exceed the mandatory minimum before the cutoff, anticipating that election authorities will disqualify a portion of the submitted entries during the verification process.

Doubts among political opponents

Scepticism regarding the feasibility of the campaign has emerged across the political spectrum, including among the mayor's principal rivals in Law and Justice. Warsaw city councillor Tomasz Herbich pointed out that initiating the collection in late July during the summer holiday period severely hampered public outreach. While Herbich stated that he supports removing Trzaskowski from office, he argued that the campaign strategy created a high likelihood of falling short of the required threshold. He also noted that organizers focused almost exclusively on conservative voters rather than uniting political opponents from both the left and the right. Herbich warned that failing to gather the necessary signatures will politically strengthen the incumbent mayor ahead of future contests.

Starting it in the middle of the holidays with a finish on 28 September created a high probability of the opposite outcome, meaning failing to collect signatures, which will probably happen. Although I hope that they will manage to collect them after all.

Reaction across city council factions

Representatives from other Warsaw City Council factions have similarly questioned the logistical and political viability of the recall drive. Sławomir Potapowicz, deputy chairman of the council representing Civic Coalition, stated that his group never dismissed the initiative but recognized the immense difficulty of securing over 130,000 signatures. Potapowicz pointed to Trzaskowski's electoral record, noting that he secured victory in the first round of voting in both the 2018 and 2024 municipal elections. He argued that the organizers lack the operational machinery required to carry out a successful citywide campaign.

It is clearly visible that this lacks any political, organizational, and logistical strength to organize, prepare, and conduct this referendum.

Opposition to the referendum format also extends to left-leaning councillors who remain critical of city hall policies. Agata Diduszko-Zyglewska, leader of the Lewica, Miasto Jest Nasze i Wspólne Jutro club on the city council, confirmed that her faction does not endorse the initiative.

We have plenty of reservations about how Rafał Trzaskowski manages the city. However, holding a referendum is not the cure for these problems.

Legal requirements for a recall vote

If organizers succeed in submitting the required 132,000 signatures by the 28 September 2026 deadline, the petition will trigger formal validation by election officials. Meeting the 10% electorate threshold is only the initial hurdle in the statutory procedure to unseat the mayor and dissolve the city council. For any subsequent recall referendum to carry legal force, voter participation must reach three fifths of the turnout recorded in the previous local elections. In Warsaw, meeting that validity threshold requires approximately 450,000 residents to cast ballots on referendum day.