Szymon Hołownia in harsh words appealed to Rafał Trzaskowski to unequivocally condemn and explain reports of illegal online promotion in his campaign. The 3rd Way candidate stressed that if Trzaskowski did not cut himself off from these practices and drew consequences, Holovnia would not support him in the second circular of presidential elections.
Rafał Trzaskowski should clearly cut himself off from these practices, condemn him, clearly say that he has nothing to do with it and draw the consequences," said candidate of the 3rd Way for president Simon Hołownia on Friday, asked about the study on the net promotion of candidate KO. In all staff, there can be individual that individual can't control - he said.
Virtual Poland wrote on Thursday that behind political advertisements published online promoting Rafał Trzaskowski and attacking his competitors stands worker and volunteers of the Action Democracy Foundation. As indicated, the president of the foundation is simply a man who was an assistant MP of the Civic Coalition a fewer weeks ago.
The Holovnia in RMF FM was asked about these reports on Friday. "Rafal Trzaskowski should clearly cut himself off from these practices, clearly condemn them, clearly and clearly say that he has nothing to do with it, and (say) that individual in the staff who was liable for this will simply fly" - said the candidate of the 3rd Way.
As he added, the Trzaskowski staff should print information on this matter. "Because hiding behind now that it may be Russian provocation, while journalists have shown that it is not any Russian provocation, and Meta (owner of Facebook - PAP) has shown that they are Polish citizens who set and bought these ads" - he added.
The Hołównia assessed that the substance should be dealt with immediately by the state authorities: NASK or the Ministry of Digitalism. At the same time, he added that he did not believe that "Trzaskowski was sitting and planning any kind of elaborate operation on the Internet".
The holovnia was besides asked if if Trzaskowski and his staff would not cut themselves off from the case and explain it, he would support it in the second circular of elections. "Rafal Trzaskowski has until today, by the end of the day, to be clear on this matter, hard and decisively say and draw the consequences from what happened. There may be individual in all staff that individual can't control. (...) On the another hand, we must first of all be aware of whether we have a community of values" - he replied.
"If I am to support the candidate, I have the right to get these explanations from him" - he added. erstwhile asked to support Trzaskowski in the second round, Holovnia said, "If Trzaskowski is in the second circular and I am not in it, it is apparent that I will not vote and urge to vote on Nawrocki".
Hołownia pointed out that with an announcement of who he would support in the second circular he had to wait for the voter verdict and for "the words of Rafał Trzaskowski, which must fall".
The 3rd Road candidate later posted an entry on the X platform, in which he stressed that the Polish president was elected by Poles. "Foreign interference in our choice is just as unacceptable erstwhile it comes from Austria, Hungary and well-known NGOs as erstwhile it comes from Russia and China. The cards on the table, the PO candidate's staff - at stake is the honesty of the elections and the attention of the written judges, who are waiting on pretexts to cancel the elections" - wrote Holownia.
The presidential election will be held next Sunday, May 18, and the eventual second circular on June 1.
Virtual Poland reported on Thursday that from April 10 Facebook was "drinked with political ads". They were placed by 2 completely unknown profiles, meaning "You Know How It Is" and "The Table of Adults". It is not known who manages these profiles. In the advertising section - and all of them seemed like talks with average citizens - the candidates in the Nawrocki and Mentzen elections were powerfully criticized. In the second part, Trzaskovsky was praised.
The journalists of the WP portal managed to identify and contact 3 people present in advertising. They all stated that they were encouraged by people associated with the Action Democracy Foundation. The board of the foundation admitted that the worker helped a abroad partner of the organization "finding willing to participate in the recordings". The company in question is Estratos Digital GmbH based in Vienna, providing "technological services and communication consultation" for the foundation.
On Wednesday, the technological and Academic Computer Network (NASK) informed about a possible effort to interfere in the election run - it was about political advertising on Facebook, which could be financed from abroad. Homeland safety has been informed of the case. The ads were blocked this afternoon. The advertising accounts active in the run over the last 7 days were to spend more on political material than any election committee. These included in peculiar Rafał Trzaskowski, Karol Nawrocki and Sławomir Mentzen; the actions taken were expected to appear to support 1 of the candidates and discredit others.
President of the Action Democracy Foundation Jakub Kocjan asked in Polsat News about media reports said that the foundation runs and pays for its own profit campaign. "Of course, Action Democracy is not only a foundation, it is besides a social movement, so we necessarily have quite a few local activists and they are invited to projects of very different groups, very different organisations. Turns out this one, too. I did not see the content in those recordings, which I looked at after questions from your editor, promoting a circumstantial candidate by any of these speakers" - explained Kocjan.
Earlier on Thursday, the chief of staff of the candidate KO for president Violett Paprocka wrote on platform X that "a mass disinformation run against Rafał Trzaskowski is ongoing utilizing SMS telephone operators". "The impersonation of the Civic Platform and campaigning outside the election committee is not allowed. The case was reported to NASK. We are besides submitting a announcement to the prosecution" - she stressed.
MON Vice-Chief Cezary Tomczyk (KO), who is in Trzaskovsky's staff, referring to reports from Virtual Poland, declared that the staff of candidate KO "cut off from this process". "Electoral committee Rafał Trzaskowski informed Facebook owners - Meta - about the fact that the committee with the origin of the Action Democracy Foundation had nothing to do" - he stressed.
The case was besides addressed by politicians of the Law and Justice. All this indicates that we are dealing with illegal financing of the run of Rafał Trzaskowski - said PiS club head Mariusz Błaszczak, commenting on the reports of Wp.pl. He announced the application to the prosecutor's office in this case and the notification of the PCW, and after the election the request for an enquiry committee. (PAP)
