Poland’s new 2020 presidential contender, Szymon Hołownia, a television celebrity and journalist, announced his bid this week, but are there any reasons for Poles to vote for him?
His speech to announce his candidacy did not amount to much or offer anything truly new, so based on his limited campaigning so far, Poles are unlikely to be impressed.
“Words are bygone, it’s time to act,” liberal TVN journalist Hołownia declared during the speech to announcing his candidacy.
It was just one of many statements he shared, most of which amounted to mere platitudes or those that covered ground that other candidates have already traversed, raising the question of why would Poles need Szymon Hołownia?
During his speech, I learned that Poland’s current “president should be the president of all Poles” and that his boss, Jarosław Kaczyński, “should not be the party leader, but represent the nation” and serve as “an independent safety fuse.”
Hołownia also claimed outsider status, saying that “someone from within the system we will not be able to break it.”
There was also talk of the need for “dialogue”, saying that he will change the view that “compromise today is your defeat.”
Hołownia also took the time to speak about his charity work, which is very admirable and there is nothing wrong with promoting that. Yet, is that enough for him stand in front of the country and claim he is not only best positioned to see the reality of Poland’s problems but also be the one who can fix them all? For the most part, that is how his speech came across.
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