There’s growing chatter within Poland’s ruling Civic Coalition (KO) about possibly accelerating the parliamentary elections. Reports from the podcast run by the journalists of the liberal news outlet Onet.pl suggest that Donald Tusk, wearied by conflicts with the left and the depressive state of Third Way leaders, might call for early elections if the coalition’s candidate succeeds in next year’s presidential race.
This move could potentially allow Tusk to weaken the Left and absorb most of its voters, as well as dismantle the Third Way alliance (PSL and Poland 2050), currently linked by increasingly unrealistic presidential plans for Szymon Hołownia. According to the Coalition’s strategy, such a scenario could substantially enhance Tusk’s chances of defeating conservative Law and Justice (PiS). The reasoning is that a loss of the presidency could put Jarosław Kaczyński and PiS on the defensive, potentially leading to a split within the party.
Rafał Trzaskowski is emerging as the most likely Civic Coalition candidate for president. Recently, Hołownia assured that he has a vision for the presidency and emphasized the need for a president outside the dominant PO-PiS duopoly.
Hołownia, who entered politics before the 2020 presidential elections, where he didn’t make it to the second round, has founded his own political party, Poland 2050, and has been vocal about his presidential ambitions.
Amidst these developments, there are indications that Civic Coalition politicians are suggesting Hołownia withdraw from the race to boost their candidate’s chances, which is likely Trzaskowski. However, Michał Gramatyka, deputy minister of digital affairs from Poland 2050, remains confident about Hołownia’s participation and success in the presidential race, expressing surprise at any decision to the contrary.
