Trust in Polish politicians analyzed by CBOS for December
The leader of Poland 2050, Szymon Hołownia, continues to enjoy the highest level of trust among surveyed Poles, with support around 54%. President Andrzej Duda remained a close second with roughly 51% trust. The third spot went to Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, head of PSL and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, at about 47% positive sentiment, according to the December CBOS polling data.
In December, just before the new government was sworn in, respondents expressed the greatest distrust toward Jarosław Kaczyński, president of PiS, and Zbigniew Ziobro, leader of Sovereign Poland, each with about 55% distrust. The new Prime Minister and head of the ruling coalition, Donald Tusk, attracted 49% distrust from respondents.
CBOS notes that, since the November changes, there has not been a large shift at the top of the social trust rankings in the subsequent weeks.
Who do Poles trust?
Szymon Hołownia, as chairman of the Sejm, maintains the strongest confidence level at 54%. About 28% of respondents express distrust toward him, with a small increase in trust and a slight rise in distrust observed since November.
Andrzej Duda holds the second position with 51% confidence, the same level reported in November. However, a notable portion of respondents expresses distrust toward the president, around 39%, marking a small uptick in distrust.
Hołownia and Duda are the only two politicians who, at this time, enjoy trust from at least half of Poles.
Third place goes to PSL’s leader, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who enjoys 47% positive opinions. After a surge in popularity the previous month, Kosiniak-Kamysz’s December ratings cooled slightly. The share of respondents expressing confidence declined by 1 percentage point, while distrust rose by 4 points. Yet, trust remains nearly twice as common as distrust (47% vs. 25%).
The fourth position belongs to Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, trusted by 46% of respondents (up 1 point). Distrust toward him stood at 39% (up 2 points).
Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (PiS) closes the top five, with 42% of respondents expressing confidence, up 2 points from November. Distrust in Morawiecki decreased by 3 points to 48%.
More places
The next slot went to the current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who took office after a period of heightened visibility in November. In December, 38% of respondents expressed confidence in Tusk, a decline of 2 points from November, while distrust rose slightly to 49% (up 3 points).
In December, 36% of respondents expressed confidence in Jarosław Kaczyński, an increase of 3 percentage points. Yet, the negative view remains dominant, with 55% distrust, down 1 point from November.
Beyond these leaders, confidence in other politicians did not exceed one-third of respondents.
Notable figures with tens of percent of declared confidence include Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Włodzimierz Tsarzasty, and Krzysztof Bosak, each mentioned with varying levels of trust and distrust in December. Bosak made his debut as deputy chairman of the Sejm, while Tsarzasty and Kidawa-Błońska continued to be referenced among the more recognizable figures.
Among current ministers who were mentioned in the rankings, Borys Budka and Barbara Nowacka—both serving as heads of ministries—received mixed responses. About 30% of respondents indicated trust in Budka, while distrust in him reached 38%. Nowacka, who is less known than Budka, was trusted by 29% and not trusted by 19%, with approximately 38% of respondents still unsure who she is.
Ziobro, a significant figure for Sovereign Poland, held 29% confidence in December, down 3 points from November, while distrust remained high at 55%. The new Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Adam Bodnar, attracted limited recognition; 48% did not know him, but among those who did, 26% trusted him and 13% did not.
On the downside, former Home Secretary Mariusz Kamiński registered 24% confidence with 34% distrust, and Adam Glapiński, head of the central bank, had 23% confidence and 45% distrust.
Marian Banaś, head of the Supreme Audit Office, was trusted by 22% and distrusted by 26%, while Piotr Zgorzelski and Krzysztof Gawkowski registered modest levels of confidence around 19% with double-digit distrust. Julia Przyłębska, president of the Constitutional Court, also drew 19% trust with 35% distrust.
The CBOS survey was conducted from November 28 to December 12, 2023, with a sample of 961 people. The methodology combined interviews, including CAPI, CATI, and CAWI, using a mixed approach to reach a representative adult Polish population drawn from the PESEL registry. Respondents chose their preferred interview method, and the study maintained consistent questions and structure across all formats.
The December polling cycle did not include any direct links to external sources within the report. Instead, the findings were attributed to CBOS and summarized for national audience understanding.
In summary, Hołownia and Duda remain the most trusted political figures in Poland, with Kosiniak-Kamysz close behind. Other leaders show more mixed results, highlighting a political landscape where trust is highly dynamic and clearly tied to ongoing national events and leadership changes.