In an almost three-hour pre-election debate, eight candidates participated in the Horses. The debate was attended by Magdalena Biejat, Szymon Hołownia, Marek Jakubiak, Maciej Maciak, Karol Nawrocki, Joanna Senyszyn, Krzysztof Stanowski and Rafał Trzaskowski. All of them received questions from 3 categories: Security, abroad policy and the economy.
The debate began with the question of restoring compulsory military service. Rafał Trzaskowski from KO, supported by PiS Karol Nawrocki, Szymon Holownia from TD, Magdalena Biejat from Nowa Lewica, and erstwhile SLD MP Joanna Senyszyn, Krzysztof Stanowski and Maciej Maciak they argued against the restoration of compulsory military service. Only Marek Jakubiak of the Free Republicans believes that military service should be compulsory.
– I am opposed to the introduction of essential, mandatory military service (...) present our army needs to be strong, with good weapons, good training and good cooperation with our partners, said Biejat.
SEE: Trzaskowski hid it, Biejat immediately reacted. Flag in the lead in the debate
Nawrocki said military service should be voluntary. – The Law on the Defence of Homeland gives the anticipation of compulsory military service during the war. I want Poland to be safe, Poland without war – he pointed out. According to him, the deficiency of recruits is the problem of today's army.
Trzaskowski besides said he did not want to be recruited into the army. – Poland must not only have the largest army in Europe (...), (but) the army must be best equipped, modern. It must be an army which is besides reinforced with a deep reserve, of course," he noted.
Debate in Horses. Questions about the Migration Pact
Karol Nawrocki, Szymon Hołownia, Marek Jakubiak and Krzysztof Stanowski voted against the introduction of a migration pact. Joanna Senyszyn felt that a migration pact was needed.
Nawrocki declared he was against the migration pact. – And against the construction of integration centres for illegal migrants and paying illegal migrants money, and government abdication scares me," he added.
The Holovnia declared that it is "against the implementation of the migration pact, assigning us the amount of refugees to be relocated to Poland". "For a simple reason – we accepted 2 million refugees from Ukraine after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and each community has its capacity to receive people who come from another countries," he added.
SEE: Debate in Horses. The clear declaration of Mentzen and Zandberg
Trzaskowski said The United Right Government was incapable to control the border and prepared a "hole policy for refugees". “We are fixing all of this today,” he added.
– I see that present a version of Rafał Trzaskowski was drawn, which is against the admission of migrants. Things change all now and then. I am glad due to the fact that at this point we agree – Stanowski replied to him.
New Left candidate Magdalena Biejat stated that refugees are in Poland and undertake work in which entrepreneurs could not find an worker until recently. She added that the function of politicians is to guarantee that these people are tested, have a chance to integrate.
Marek Jakubiak said that Poland must act symmetrically, i.e. close the east and western borders.
Pre-election debate 2025. Questions about global alliances
Candidates for president were asked on the strategical nonsubjective of Polish abroad policyMost of them voted for Maintaining and strengthening alliances, both from the US and the European Union.
Rafał Trzaskowski called for strong relations, both with the US and with the EU, while stressing their common relationship.
It's that Today we force the European Union to talk our languageto spend more money on arms, so that EU countries do not go on ft on our backs, but are truly investing, including in the defence industry, that is precisely what Trump expects us to do, he said.
SEE: "The winner is one". Assessments before the debate in Koński
In turn, supported by the Law and Justice Karol Nawrocki concluded that NATO is the safety pillar of Poland and bilateral relations with the US. He supported Poland's presence in the EU as a strategical one, but opposed the centralisation reforms of the Union.
The fresh Left candidate Magdalena Biejat besides advocated continuing cooperation with the US and NATO, but indicated that the USA is no longer Poland's “friend”. “Today Poland’s safety lies in Europe,” she noted.
Krzysztof Stanowski focused on the competence of politicians. "The strategical goal of Polish policy should be to choice politicians who can foretell certain events for a fewer years ahead alternatively than for a fewer days forward," he argued.
Marek Jakubiak (Free Republicans) considered it crucial to strengthen his own defence potential. – History teaches us that if we can number on anyone, we always have each other.. We can't just base our doctrine on the fact that the enemy comes from 1 direction only. We must be prepared for all possible possibilities – he argued.
Debate in Horses. Questions about the economy
In the 3rd part of the economy, candidates received the question whether, in a situation of expanding risk, they would agree to a taxation increase to increase defence spending.
Magdalena Biejat assessed that "We're already spending adequate money.“ for this purpose. “What we request is smarter defence spending,” she added. She stressed that more resources should be allocated to investigation and development.
Simon Holovnia, on the another hand, stated that "we should not talk about taxation increases in Poland today‘. – present people live in Poland already adequate on the edge that there is no sense to do so. If you gotta look for money somewhere, at least in banks that gain 40 billion a year and sleep on money," he stressed.
Marek Jakubiak stated in turn that as president will not sign any bill that will rise taxes in Poland. “In the situation in which Poland is today, with the threat of war from the east, we request to think about a rational country. Let us spend little on officials, on the state," he added.
SEE: Presidential election. Government launches strategy for voters
Maciej Maciak stressed that "no taxation increases are necessary". “Just make a recipe that would make certain that no part of ammunition or tank could be overpaid even for a buck,” he said.
Karol Nawrocki stated that taxation increases were not the only alternative. “I am in favour of spending 5 percent of Polish GDP on defence,” he stressed. “To have the means to defend yourself, you gotta make certain that there is no Donald Tusk government,” he added.
Joanna Senyszyn, in turn, said that it was essential to deal primarily with citizens surviving on the brink of poverty. – They request to reduce taxes – she added. Krzysztof Stanowski, in turn, stated that the state is already "burning" money.
Rafał Trzaskowski recalled, however, that defence spending was taken out of the deficit. As he added, increased spending on defence guarantees more jobs.
SEE: Trzaskowski to Nawrocki: You were afraid to stand 1 on one
The debate was co-led by journalists Joanna Danikowska-Paź (TVP), Grzegorz Kajdanowicz (TVN24) and Piotr Witwicki (Polsat News).
