Former oppositionists of the Polish People’s Republic have filed an appeal challenging the use of the Institute of National Remembrance in a presidential campaign. A signatory, Krzysztof Król, once an adviser to President Bronisław Komorowski and a former KOD activist, described the situation as shocking. He said it is unacceptable for a public institution to back a candidate during an election. The citizens’ committee backing Karol Nawrocki’s bid included many opposition figures from the era of the Polish People’s Republic, among them Andrzej and Joanna Gwiazda, Jan Parys, Andrzej Kołodziej, Bogusław Sonik, and Zofia Romaszewska. Nawrocki asserted that anti-communist activists and others who support him see the Institute as a reflection of broad social backing, pointing to the social endorsements listed in support of his candidacy.
As stated in the appeal, the law on the Institute of National Remembrance defines the institution as apolitical and bans the president from party membership or public activities incompatible with the dignity of the office. The IPN is meant to preserve memory and a shared history for all citizens of Poland, regardless of their political views.
We are outraged that President Nawrocki is using the Institute of National Remembrance in his political campaign. The official social networking sites of the Institute are promoting his candidacy. Anti-communist opposition activists have repeatedly criticized the IPN for misrepresenting Polish history. Now even more boundaries have been crossed.
– marked.
Oppositionists demand a cessation of using financial resources from a state institution for the campaign of Karol Nawrocki and call for the costs already incurred to be charged to the election commission and the political party backing the candidate.
The king’s political intensification
As one of the signatories of the call, Krzysztof Król spoke to PAP. He stressed that the Institute for National Remembrance is a very specific institution with a crucial need for its apolitical character, a principle embedded in the IPN law itself. He noted that while the IPN was used as a kind of historical police in the last years of the PiS government, what followed the announcement of Nawrocki’s candidacy crossed that line.
Król added that after Nawrocki’s campaign began, social networks and IPN websites carried information suggesting that the IPN president was taking action in the elections. He drew a contrast by recalling how Warsaw city websites handled a past situation, where announcements about a candidate running were not the focus, but the buses, trams, and street crews were highlighted.
– noted the former adviser to President Komorowski.
This shocking endorsement of one of the candidates by a public institution is outrageous. An institution that is supposed to serve everyone is serving a political campaign.
– he assessed.
The appeal was signed by: Leszek Biernacki, Seweryn Blumsztajn, Grzegorz Boguta, Jerzy Borowczak, Marek Borowik, Wacława Bujak, Zbigniew Bujak, Grzegorz Cygonik, Danuta Czechmanowska, Grzegorz Gauden, Zbigniew Janas, Piotr Kapczyński, Maciej Kozłowski, Krzysztof Bogdan Lis, Henryk Majewski, Mark Myszkiewicz-Niesiołowski, Piotr Niemczyk, Stefan Niesiołowski, Edward Nowak, Dariusz Pusz, Krzysztof Pusz, Ryszard Pusz, Andrzej Seweryn, Krzysztof Siemieński, Jan Skórzyński, Jarosław J. Szczepański, Jacek Taylor, Irena Wóycicka.
Dr.’s list of recommendations Nawrocki
Particularly notable is the fact that the call against the Institute of National Remembrance was signed by oppositionists from the Polish People’s Republic era who have long been politically involved in supporting the Civic Platform and Donald Tusk. Krzysztof Król, an adviser to President Bronisław Komorowski and a leading figure in the Committee for the Defense of Democracy, is highlighted as the most influential person in this context.
The call by Nawrocki’s supporters is presented as misleading, suggesting anti-communist activists and politicians are opposing the IPN president. In reality, a substantial portion of the opposition from the PRL era were even part of the citizens’ committee backing Nawrocki for the presidency.
Among those listed as Nawrocki opponents are Piotr Łukasz Andrzejewski, Teresa Baranowska, Adam Borowski, Mirosław Chojecki, Andrzej Gwiazda, Joanna Duda-Gwiazda, Wacław Holewiński, Jerzy Jachowicz, Andrzej Kołodziej, Stanisław Kruszyński, Maciej Łopiński, Adam Piotr Naimski, Jan Parijs, Zofia Romaszewska, Bogusław Sonik, Kryspin Waliszewski, Bronisław Wildstein, Wit Karol Wojtowicz, and Krzysztof Wyszkowski.
Support for IPN employees and oppositionists
Nawrocki, who is participating in the Final of the 17th Border Countries Package in Otwock, briefly referred to the oppositionists’ call and did not plan to comment until the names of the signatories were released.
– noted Nawrocki op.
He added that anti-communist opposition activists and many IPN supporters stand with them, pointing to a list of social endorsements for the presidency that includes numerous prominent anti-communist figures.
– adds the candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Poland.
Nawrocki stressed that the IPN has responded to his candidacy only once, which he views as unsurprising given his position as head of the institute.
The IPN profile, to his knowledge, has responded only once with public support from the institute’s staff, a gesture he describes as meaningful because employees take pride in their leadership during elections.
– he emphasized.
He argued that the Institute remains an apolitical agency with no ties to any political party and is not involved in the campaign of any civilian candidate for the presidency.
– he added.