Sunday marches in Warsaw will be a real show of force before the second circular of the presidential election. The bars of Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki will simultaneously bring their supporters to the streets, hoping to mobilise the electorate, economies of scale and awesome images in the media. Not only is simply a political vacation in the capital, but besides a strategical clash of hearts and voices of the indecisive.
Counting and mobilizing before the second circular of presidential elections are the goals of Sunday marches in Warsaw, which organize staffs: candidate KO for president Rafał Trzaskowski and candidate supported by PiS Karol Nawrocki.
In fresh years, political marches in Poland have become 1 of the key tools for mobilising electorate and building narratives by political parties. Although formal marches frequently take place under the slogans of defending values, civilian rights or opposition to the ruling, in practice they become an extension of electoral campaigns. This is precisely the kind of situation we'll be dealing with in the capital on Sunday.
The staff of candidates who will face the second circular of the presidential election on June 1st will hold marches of support; both will start at noon.
The "Great Patriot March", supporting Rafał Trzaskowski, will decision from Bankowego Square and pass on Marszałkowska Street to Constitution Square. It will be attended by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Rafał Trzaskowski and, among others, Deputy Prime Minister, leader of the Ludivists Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and talker of the Sejm, leader of the Polish 2050 Szymon Hołownia. Prime Minister Donald Tusk encouraged to participate on the X platform. "I call all those who love Poland. Meet me on Sunday, May 25th, noon. And a week later, let's vote together for a strong, solidarity and safe Poland" - the head of the government called for.
Deputy Minister of Defence Cezary Tomczyk associated with the Trzaskowski staff stressed that the KO march would be the last immense mobilization accent before the elections. "Let us remember that all voice, all brick added in this election has meaning. We talk clearly: now or never. This is an election about everything, about the future of Poland, about how Poland will look for years to come. And this patriot march organised by Rafał Trzaskowski is of large importance in terms of mobilization before the second circular of elections," he said.
Also at noon, Karol Nawrocki's "Great March for Poland" will begin in the capital. He will leave the roundabout de Gaulle and head for Castle Square. "In search of dialogue, no substance how you voted in the first circular of presidential elections, all those whose welfare of Poland is close to our homeland. For all those for whom Poland is important, regardless of your political views, and all of you, I would like to invitation on 25 May to Warsaw for a large march behind Poland. Poland must win" - Nawrocki said announcing events during the election evening last Sunday. "Let us show that we want Poland ambitious, proud, safe. Uncensored and unified by Donald Tusk" - wrote Nawrocki later on platform X.
PiS Vice-President Mateusz Kurzejewski, who sits on Nawrocki's staff, told PAP that all those who "want Karol Nawrocki to win the presidential election" were invited to the march. "We want to show our unity, solidarity, our will to win, and the will to halt the system's closure by Donald Tusk's crew," he said.
The staff emphasized that the aim of the march was to show support for the civilian presidential candidate, who, as Kurzejewski said, was constantly "to face a dirty campaign, with the full apparatus of the state that was directed against him".
The sociologist and political scientist Prof. Radosław Markowski pointed out in a conversation with PAP that the organisation of 2 marches at the same time is "far-flung irresponsible" by both the Warsaw authorities and the Ministry of abroad Affairs, which agree to akin projects. He noted that due to the "doubt" of the march and the hazard of confrontation, it would besides be essential to affect much more officers. At the same time, he pointed out that in the beginning only 1 march was planned, and this march of the second candidate "shot himself" into the same time and place.
Thus, according to the expert, the effects of the march would be visible if only 1 was held. "Now that there will be two, their effects will most likely bear" - he said.
Prof. Markowski said that he was not amazed that members of the government and, until recently, his counter-candidates would appear at the Trzask march to emphasize the message that "Poland can number on a president cooperating with the government in these hard times". In turn, as regards the presence of Prime Minister Donald Tusk - according to the expert - it should be "in any way marked, but only symbolically, it should not dominate the march in any case".
The marches are primarily an effective means of integrating and mobilising their own electorate. For political parties, it's a way to show the scale of support and send a signal to undecided voters.
In fresh years, among the most crucial marches that took place in Poland, 1 can indicate the "Black Protest" of 2016, which is mass mobilisation of women and liberals against the tightening of abortion law. These demonstrations took place in many cities, and their scale amazed the rulers.
Many manifestations of the Defence Committee of Democracy, organised in consequence to PiS activities after 2015, were besides held during the regulation of the Law and Justice. The organizers pointed out that their goal was to defend the constitution, the independency of courts and besides media freedom.
The Citizens' Platform, which was in opposition at the time, organised a march on 4 June 2023 against PiS governments. The platform did the same in October, during the election campaign, just before the parliamentary elections, erstwhile the streets of Warsaw passed the "March of the Million Hearts".
In January 2024, the Law and Justice organization organised a march of "Free Poles" in defence of freedom of speech, media and democracy.
According to authoritative PKW data, candidate KO Rafał Trzaskowski obtained 31.36 percent of the votes in the first circular of the presidential election, and supported by PiS Karol Nawrocki 29.54 percent; on 1 June they will face the second circular of elections. (PAP)
