“I like ugliness / is closer to the bloodstream,” wrote Stanisław Grochowiak. This verse may have sounded in the head of Paweł Bossernaker erstwhile he chose a place for Karol Nawrocki's electoral evening. due to the fact that is there a better location for a candidate after transitions, with a obscure past than the Warsaw Szmulowizna? Yes, a lot has changed since Grochowiak. Today, scratched houses without access to the sewerage are adjacent to fresh flat buildings, where apartments cost 18,000 per meter. But the spirit of real life is inactive around. Besides, the name of the place where the event was held – “Little Warsaw” – says a lot. That's what the expatriates call their restaurants: small Beirut, small Hanoi, small Jerusalem. The name sounds more like saying goodbye to the city, not celebrating it.
The tiny Otwocka Street, which housed the premises, was not ready for the events of this scale. A line of journalists trying to get inside was turning their tail. tv crews, unaccredited, hid with cameras in the gates. besides the Prague people – curious, present, instinctively attracted by the sound – did not fail.
– Is it Nowacki or Trzaskowski? – asked an aged woman, sitting on a balcony on a judaic balcony. Her sight patrolled the area as if she were her queen.
– Nawrocks! – the workers of the Republic called from downstairs.
– And who won? – she continued to ask without giving up.
However, she did not get the answers – in fear of breaking the election silence.
The question of the winner and his advantage was repeated throughout the street. Activists, politicians, journalists, passers-bys talked to each other. They all had the same leaks from the alleged "basehouse" or pantfloli strategy for distributing results from the committee. These said 1 thing: there is no clear winner. Poland was waiting for the night of heart palpitations.
It is worth noting what the election nights of Trzaskowski and Nawrocki looked like, due to the fact that the preparation of the event speaks a lot about organizers. I was not even registered as a typical of the media. I went to the sports hall with voters who had free access to politicians. In turn Nawrocki had a higher level of control than the president of the United States. There's safety everywhere, bag search, metallic detectors, and no access to a street party. I realize safety considerations, especially with specified a crazy polarization of the political scene as ours, but why journalists have been separated from activists I don't realize it anymore, though I guess. I believe the organization wanted full control of the broadcast of the evening.
Fortunately, I – an old-time press writer – have no camera crew, 5 microphones and a make-up artist. So I can hide the press card in my pocket and go through the gate as an activist. perceive to what the PiS asset says.
With my hand on my heart I can testify: before 9:00 p.m. the writers were terrified. large mobilization abroad, higher than expected attendance in large cities – all of this made the activists see fear. And as usual, at times like this, conspiracy theories came to help. This time – the 1 about “adopted voters”. Promoted by PiS politicians a fewer days earlier, it was based on the reflection that exceptionally many citizens registered to vote outside their place of residence. It was suggested it was an election scam. The fact that many locations were in dormitories, for example, was omitted, and students simply voted there.
At 1 point I felt a jab in my arm. Before me, a miner in a gala outfit, determined to show that Silesia besides supported Nawrocki. I shouldn't have judged anyone by appearance, but his face seemed besides perfect to me. Like it was the future James Bond, Rafał Trzaskowski on steroids – or just an actor.
– Which mine do you work in? – I asked.
– Sorry, I gotta go now – he answered and moved on.
We've got a fewer seconds until 9:00. Rafał Bochenek went on stage.
– Dear country, we have a remis! – he thundered.
I was amazed here. I expected Nawrocki's staff – regardless of the consequence of the polls – to announce a victory. That's precisely what Trzaskowski did, and I don't blame him. At 9:00 p.m., no 1 could have known who would become president of Poland.
Bochenk's uncertainty and the confusion on the activists' faces were in itself information. So, they're not going to be rude. possibly they won't question the importance of the election. We may be able to last this night without the deepest crisis of democracy in the past of the 3rd Republic.
Karol Nawrocki and his household went on stage. The speech began with a quote from the Old Testament, which I did not even effort to understand. I knew what would happen next: thank the Poles, thank the staff of president Jarosław, wife of Marcie, children... Blah, blah, blah. These are not circumstances for making extremist speeches either.
When all the cameras and the eyes of the viewers focused on the candidate, I moved in a different direction – towards Jarosław Kaczyński.
Zoliborski Sphinx remained himself until the end. His face expressed neither joy nor sorrow. Eyes on the floor, attitude absent. He clapped erstwhile you had to clap. He mumbled erstwhile you had to chant. But his thoughts were elsewhere. Did he explain to his brother that he had not yet accomplished his assignment? Was it simply – this next run was already besides dense for a 75-year-old?
I want I could have recorded this scene in slow motion. So that you can see the contrast between him and the surrounding characters – John Kanthak and Agnieszka Wojciechowska, in absolute ecstasy. The president looked like a Stańczyk from Matejka's painting – the 1 who just read the letter about Smolensk's failure – alternatively than the leader of the winning party.
It was only essential to play the function that he was torn from lethargy. He went out on the platform, ritually shouted at Tusk and locked himself back in. Like a man who plays the function of life, but doesn't know why.
At the end of the event, “Mazurka Dąbrowski” was sang. All the verses went, without hesitation, even with “father speaking to Basi”. Lucius Nadberezhny – president of Stalowa Wola sang loudly, most likely the only self-government associate to break through to the most crucial politicians of the Law and Justice. It is worth watching – it seems that regional policy has become besides tight for it.
When I put the press card back into the coat flap, the speech of the conversation began to change. Stanisław Karczewski reminded – rightly adequate – that it was just an exit poll and everything could change. Jarosław Krajewski taught me not to number besides hasty abroad in the Trzaskowski camp due to the fact that “the PiS is strong in the USA”. Maciej Wąsik said he didn't talk to Angora.
I am glad that not everyone shared his approach. And that there were those who allowed me to come in, perceive and compose this text for you. due to the fact that it may prove 1 thing: that even in a country as divided as ours, dialog – silent, attentive, full of mistrust, but dialog – can inactive be possible.
This is where you read the study from the shtab of the Tresakov massacre
