Civic Coalition Eyes Independent Candidate Lists and Pre-Campaign Push

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The Civic Coalition is moving to assemble its own candidate lists for upcoming elections, a shift noted by Jan Grabiec after a gathering of KO members. The idea of a single shared slate is fading, as one observer put it, because of the limits of asking people to accept flowers from party organizers when they are resistant to such gestures, a point echoed by Sławomir Neumann.

A meeting of the Civic Coalition’s parliamentary club convened in Warsaw, outside the Sejm, on Monday, with PO leader Donald Tusk in attendance.

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— Behind the scenes of the KO club meeting. Tusk: I have instructed the heads of 16 PO regions to prepare provisional electoral lists for the Sejm

— KO club meeting with Tusk present. The aim is to shape a winning campaign for the upcoming election

Platform pre-campaign

PO spokesman Jan Grabiec shared with journalists after the talks that the Civic Coalition intends to mount a political push in the weeks ahead.

We are entering the pre-campaign phase. The President has directed the drafting of candidate lists, especially for the Sejm, with careful attention to regional conditions and gender balance, Grabiec explained.

A nationwide tour is also on the docket, he added.

In the coming 16 weeks, the plan includes trips across the country, meetings in every county, and citizen panels addressing regional issues, Grabiec noted.

When asked whether the decisions announced at the club meeting signaled a move away from joint lists with other opposition groups, Grabiec replied that there is a genuine desire to form a united opposition, but partners have indicated otherwise.

We truly want a common front, yet our partners are not on board, he stated. We do not have time to wait for the ruling party to act; the chairman has ordered the creation of a Sejm candidate list and field work to begin immediately.

He added that the door remains open to collaboration with partners when it comes to a joint slate.

Other participants in the meeting echoed the sentiment, speaking to reporters about the evolving strategy.

We have always backed joint efforts, but there have been no formal commitments from our partners. Since they are not present, we will carry on with our work and keep the door open to any scenario, said Marcin Bosacki, head of the Senate Club.

Bitter words about the opposition

Sławomir Neumann acknowledged that the idea of a joint list is fading. In politics one can never say never, but there are limits to what can be asked. The idea of courting those who resist a joint slate remains unlikely for now, he suggested, noting a firm no from the other side.

We pushed for a joint start, but we heard from the other side that pursuing a single list would be a mistake and that alternatives should be explored. So let them search, he added.

Voters expect a credible plan. If a shared plan cannot be built, each side must present its own. Neuman warned that a successful outcome would likely involve fewer than four lists.

The KO and Civic Coalition are narrowing their positions, while remaining open to proposals from other democratic groups, but time is running short and preparation is accelerating, summarized Tomasz Grodzki, the Senate Marshal, after the session.

Hope is said to die last, and a prudent leader weighs option A, option B, and option C, he added.

In informal talks with reporters, several MPs suggested that the political landscape could split strongly into two main blocs once campaigning heats up. Another MP remarked that figures such as Hołownia and Kosiniak would seek to approach from the margins if needed.

Announcement of the offensive

According to PAP information, the central speech of the club meeting was delivered by Donald Tusk, announcing a political offensive and detailing his request for regional leaders to prepare candidate lists.

Only a small number of MPs spoke during the roughly hour-and-a-half deliberation. Iwona Hartwich advocated ongoing support for long-term disability care, while Jagna Marczułajtis urged strong backing for KO in Podhale, a challenging area for this group. Artur Łącki called for more support for entrepreneurs, and senior member Iwona Śledzińska-Katarasińska signaled the intention to seek another mandate.

gah/PAP

Source: wPolityce

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