Zabrze. 155,000 inhabitants. For respective days now, 1 can have the impression that it is the central place of Poland. As commented by 1 of the local portals, "Zabrze becomes an crucial point on the political map before I circular the presidential election". There's a flood of comments online. Among them besides such: "Move d**s so we don't end up like Zabrze".
This is the city which, thanks to the referendum on appeal, president Agnieszka Rupniewska was placed on a peculiar focus of PiS propaganda.
The Law and Justice has taken advantage of this situation. It was their only chance to be in Zabrze. I'm amazed that individual from the Law and Justice organization came here at all, due to the fact that in fact the activity of the Law and Justice organization in Zabrze has so far been very insignificant and insignificant. erstwhile they ruled, it was only in the coalition. Zabrze was never a pro-PiS. And it surely is not,” says Mariala Olichwer, the Zabrzeń Councilwoman KO.
"What a shame for Zabrz!", "Who invited him here", "Hanba" – in turn scrolls in local comments.
So Nawrocki congratulated the people of Zabrz
It was here on Sunday 11 May that a referendum was held on the dismissal of president Agnieszka Rupniewska from KO, after which PiS and Karol Nawrocki were headed by a trance, as if they had already won the presidential election.
And it was here on 13 May that Karol Nawrocki did a show that I don't think there was yet. Let us remind you, it was in Zabrze that he appeared together with pro-Russian candidate for president of Romania George Simion. There were words of common support and declarations of friendship, which the PiS boasted on all fronts.
And there were voices of outrage. besides in Zabrze. It's a curiosium. This is impossible – the residents we ask are reacting.
But the fact that Nawrocki came here 2 days after the referendum is the most significant. And the rush must have been huge.
– There was no reported rally at the office," says Grzegorz Olejniczak, president of Zabrze City Council. He emphasizes: – PiS utilized the hard situation in our city for the presidential campaign.
The full Poland heard Nawrocki congratulating the people of Zabrza that "they rejected the power that was incorrect for this city" – here we wrote more about the referendum itself.
– The platform in your city has failed to manage. She could not take advantage of these opportunities that gave and 8 years of the regulation of the Law and Justice, which developed the city with further investments. erstwhile politics and partying begin to rule, and people who worked for many years from the town hall who were uncomfortable are thrown out of town hall, so that this city will make erstwhile organization politics starts to win in local governments, we – citizens of the Polish state – can say "no!" loudly – Nawrocki thundered
– It was a typical show. There were quite a few visitors, parking lots were covered. I'm certain they weren't Zabrze. fewer people were from Zabrza, says the councilwoman.
The referendum was immediately played by another PiS politicians. In Poland, the message went that if the KO could be won in Zabrze, it could be won throughout Poland. The city in the eyes of the Law and Justice abruptly began to grow to the rank of a symbol.
"Rupniewska was recalled from the function of president Zabrz, due to the fact that people have had adequate pathological regulation of people associated with Tuski and Trzaskowski", "Let us show PO a red card on May 18!", Zabrze has shown that it can, now time for Poland" – the right-wing net responded.
But – as we hear in Zabrze, the PiS candidate for president and his party, to which he does not belong, may yet be surprised. due to the fact that the effect – as residents say – in Zabrze may be rather the other for him.
There was a second time in Zabrze Duda, and there was a 3rd time.
Marian Rau, councillors, erstwhile president of the Zabrzeńska PO, believes that in the Law and Justice they enjoy Zabrze besides early.
– Most residents of the city do not identify with this transmission. In my opinion, in the Law and Justice, they will find this painfully on election day that it does not look as pink as in their belief. Then we'll find out what kind of support they'll have in Zabrze. I personally don't presume that the PiS will win, especially in the second round. I think Rafał Trzaskowski will win in the first circular in terms of getting the best result, and the second circular will confirm it. Or it may turn out that in Zabrze the second consequence will be obtained by Sławomir Mentzen alternatively than Nawrocki. It would not surprise me at all – it reacts in conversation with Temat.
The councilman is sending us back to the results of the presidential election in Zabrze 5 years ago. Rafał Trzaskowski won here (55.18%). Andrzej Duda won 44.82 percent of the vote.
In the earlier presidential election, it was similar.
In 2015, the II circular election was won here by Bronisław Komorowski (c. 37.4%), the second was – note – Paweł Kukiz, which was considered the biggest sensation (c. 27.8%). Adrzej Duda was only in Zabrze the third, and his score of 25.2% "West Journal" summed up: "This is about 10 percent little than on a national scale".
But can Nawrocki win in Zabrze?
I don't think so. Earlier elections besides showed that KO had better results with us, says the City Council President.
Also in 2010, Zabrze presidential election was won by Bronisław Komorowski (62.89%). Jarosław Kaczyński won 37.11 percent of the votes.
– I'm certain the PiS will be surprised. Residents are disgusted and outraged by this form of campaigning by the PiS. This was the summit of manipulative people and of taking advantage of Zabrz's very hard situation for political purposes, which I think is highly unethical – he says about Nawrock's rally in their city, Mariola Olichwer.
Does she think Nawrocki has a chance to win in Zabrze?
- Absolutely not. And I say this after the referendum, in which the president of the KO was recalled. With full conviction, the councilwoman answers. As he says, what happened even more stimulates the PO to act.
Because as it turns out, only 25% of society decided to cancel the president in a referendum. The remainder – 75 percent of voters – stayed at home.
Why president Zabrz was recalled
However, the issue of the referendum itself is much more complex than it may seem at first glance. And the situation in the city is very difficult. And no little complex.
– I can see there's regret and anger about what happened. They say this referendum was besides early. And now there is confusion, due to the fact that for 3 months, until there is simply a fresh president, there is uncertainty and many decisions can be stopped by the Commissioner. And then it is not known how it will be," says Grzegorz Olejniczak.
I'm certain it wasn't that it was the local PiS that pushed the President's appeal. It was a more collective action of various local forces. As we hear in the city, the nationwide PiS simply tapped into his "success".
– The referendum was the mobilisation of all opponents of the president. And the Law and the Better Zabrze and the Left. They got along and made a simple move. Their mobilisation, bullshitting people and providing false information gave the effect that 1/4 of the population went to the referendum and voted to callback the president," says Marian Rau.
As he points out, the majority remained in their homes, among them supporters of the president, who felt that they would not be making attendance.
So it's hard to tell if the full town was against her. Besides, the referendum did not call off the City Council, in which the majority has an KO.
– In favour of the appeal, the president was voted by those who did not like that certain things had been cut short by her. In 2024, erstwhile Agnieszka Rupniewska took government, we were forced to introduce a savings program due to the fact that the city was on the brink of bankruptcy. The government debt managed to avoid this. This stabilisation of the city's finances is mostly due to Mrs Agnieszka Rupniewska. We managed to get on track and make a budget for this year. It was going in the right direction, but there were any errors in communication that were made especially at the beginning of the term. And unfortunately, the president has been cancelled, says Marian Rau.
Others besides talk about errors in communication.
– As far as finance is concerned, the president had no choice. Her predecessor led to a disaster, for which we paid to save Zabrze. On the another hand, the form of communication has failed – Mariola Olichwer admits.
Who was the erstwhile president?
"There was no another choice. You should have saved Zabrze"
Margaret Manka-Szulik ruled the city for 18 years. all time we heard her, she emphasized that she was unpartisan, that she was president for everyone, and never said she supported the Law and Justice. Since 2018, however, she ruled in the PiS coalition and 1 of its deputies was from the PiS. And erstwhile she lost the election to Agnieszka Rupniewska from KO in 2024, she ran for the EP for the PiS.
It is her regulation that is judged a disaster. We knew it was bad, but not that bad. president Agnieszka Rupniewska found a huge, empty account and she had to deal with all this – says Zabrzeńska councilwoman KO.
How to explain what they found to the average Pole? Mariola Olichwer mentions debts, but not only.
– It's like she walked into a home with quite a few credit. With an unpaid electrical bill. With part of the land that was planted. With part of the land in a garden that was not armed, for example, so that it could be sold to build houses. And it was all hidden. We besides found a promise of a rise made just before the run itself, which we had to give from the next period – he says.
Why weren't people happy?
– If we find the city in specified a state that there would be no pay for officials and teachers in a month, it is hard for all residents to be satisfied with the cuts that have taken place. But there was just no another choice. You should have saved Zabrze. Sometimes you gotta swallow a bitter pill so it can get better later. But any structures in Zabrze simply utilized it to appeal the president," says Mariola Olichwer.
He thinks the Law and Justice are a temporary success. Don't envy the next Agnieszka Rupniewska. As he says, thanks to her, the city now has money for its current expenses, but only for its current expenses. It's a shame to see people manipulate. During the referendum campaign, lies were besides presented about the objectives of pseudopolitics PiS – he says.
