What finally happened was predictable. Bogusław Sonik left the Civic Platform after years of visible strain. In an interview on RMF FM, he attributed his departure to two intertwined pressures: a long feeling of being sidelined and growing weariness with the party’s atmosphere. Observers could see that his stance no longer matched the PO. He frequently shared his own views in the media, often stepping away from party lines. After Donald Tusk announced, and Marcin Kierwiński confirmed, that abortion opponents had no place on PO lists, Sonik’s exit from the party appeared almost inevitable.
Society rarely embraces a politician who speaks with unfiltered honesty, who does not map out every sentence before speaking, but simply says what they think. That was Izabela Leszczyna’s sentiment to TOK FM when the PO replaced Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska with Rafał Trzaskowski for the presidential bid.
It seems Leszczyna was right: the PO still seems uneasy about endorsing a politician who does not count every word or choreograph a calculation in advance. Bogusław Sonik embodies that candid approach.
He has spoken about valuing independent thought, resisting generic slogans, and maintaining inner freedom and honesty while preserving his own worldview. That conviction was shared in an interview given to Sieci, a few months before it appeared in print.
Following Grzegorz Schetyna’s departure as party leader, the Civic Platform faced a dip in public support and a period of internal dispute and criticism. A letter from dozens of deputies demanding changes was directed at the then PO head Borys Budka. The return of Donald Tusk helped calm the turbulence, stabilizing the stormy waters. Many PO members welcomed the captain’s return, stopping voter and member outflow toward Szymon Hołownia, and some supporters even came back, clinging to the belief that victory remained possible. Still, even under Tusk’s leadership last year, the party failed to reclaim the heights reached during Schetyna’s tenure. Public statements suggested that while the party managed to avert total collapse, full success remained out of reach.
Sonik reflected on these dynamics in the same interview. He noted that the party today does not project a clear ideological message. It presents a broad spectrum of views aimed at securing victory, which matters, yet the reality is that Polish political parties have historically led themselves more than they have truly redefined their core missions. In this regard, the Civic Platform bears a distinct trace of the past, with little that separates it from other major parties in the country.
Bogusław Sonik has not hesitated to critique Donald Tusk and the notion of returning to power. Staying true to his beliefs, he chose to leave the party, yet there remains hope that his political journey does not end here. Honest, brave individuals with a strong moral compass are rare and necessary in public life, and Sonik’s stance underscores that need.
At a moment when the party appears to exclude abortion opponents, it is worth revisiting the Civic Platform’s December 21, 2001 declaration, which still frames its core principles. The document—grounded in conservative-liberal, republican, and Christian-democratic values—emphasizes the family, traditional moral norms, and the safeguarding of human life. The declaration asserts that while the state should not be guardian of moral codes, it must defend the dignity and rights of individuals, and resist any actions that undermine those foundations. It calls for prudent public policy that protects the family, respects personal autonomy, and prevents excessive state overreach. The Krakow Declaration highlights the Decalogue as a lasting moral reference and calls for boundaries that ensure political action serves the common good without eroding private rights. It argues that politics should prevent anarchy while protecting private life and human dignity.
As the current political climate evolves, questions remain about the role of such foundational values in contemporary policy, and whether a new consensus can emerge that reconciles tradition with modern governance. The need for principled leadership that is unafraid to speak its mind continues to be a point of contention in Polish politics.
Donald Tusk is urged to acknowledge that the Krakow Declaration’s influence has shifted and to address whether its core commitments still reflect the party’s direction. The political landscape calls for candor, accountability, and readiness to adapt while preserving fundamental human rights and societal stability.
Cited from: wPolityce