A press event in Kętrzyn brought together PiS activists and several local officials after the stop by Rafał Trzaskowski, the presidential candidate for the Civic Coalition. The participants used the moment to press on two practical questions about the future’s plans: whether funding would be safeguarded for investments in the region if Trzaskowski won, and whether measures aimed at restricting freedom of expression on the internet would be blocked or vetoed by his government. The group framed the issue as one of everyday concern for residents who rely on fair access to information and on the assurance that investment projects would not falter because of political shifts. The question about vetoing or blocking online restrictions was raised clearly during the event, a concern that resonates with observers beyond Poland as digital rights and government powers over online speech attract attention in North American audiences, including Canada and the United States.
The press conference, with MP Janusz Cieszyński and several local officials in attendance, was held shortly before Trzaskowski’s planned stop in Kętrzyn. When asked whether PiS activists would convene similar briefings more often during the campaign, Cieszyński indicated that such gatherings were likely to recur. He stressed that the topics raised—economic development, regional funding, and digital rights—are not abstract issues but concerns felt by voters and businesses alike across the district. He suggested that as the campaign unfolds, more opportunities would arise for direct engagement on these topics at local events.
He added that more questions are emerging and that the campaign is likely to produce additional moments that challenge the KO candidate. In his view, the focus on internet freedom mirrors a broader trend in political discourse where technology policy intersects with everyday liberties. The exchange at the briefing was framed as a test of accountability, inviting voters to see how a candidate would balance protection of civil liberties with practical governance in a digital era.
Trzaskowski has a chance to answer
During the briefing, Cieszyński signaled that he had questions for the President of Warsaw and for the Vice-President of the Civic Platform about the topic dominating the week, namely freedom of expression on the Internet. He recalled that the KO candidate for president had previously led the digital affairs portfolio, a detail that adds weight to the questions about how online speech would be safeguarded or restricted in practice if he were to assume the presidency. The inquiry was framed as a practical check on how campaign promises would translate into regulatory action and how quickly a future administration might respond to concerns about online censorship.
Will he veto or block actions by his own government that seek to restrict freedom of expression on the internet? was the central point raised by the speaker, linking the issue to the broader framework of checks and balances in a liberal democracy. The aim was to understand how the candidate would handle proposed measures that could affect what Poles may write online and whether safeguards would exist to prevent rapid or unchecked restrictions on digital discourse.
As he explained, a draft bill was circulating that would allow the police, tax authorities and even the sanitary inspection to block websites and order the removal of content they dislike, with a right to appeal that would ideally exist but could take months to resolve; in practice this would mean limited opportunity for timely redress against online censorship. The argument presented was that such a framework would tilt the balance toward administrative power, potentially reducing transparency and slowing due process for online content decisions.
Mr. Rafał would you decide to guarantee freedom of expression in Poland if you become president, or would you, in the name of party interests, support the government and its institutions that could censor what Poles want to write on the Internet? That question was posed as a direct challenge to elicit a clear public commitment about how the candidate would govern digital rights from the highest level of executive power.
He noted that the hope was for a response during today’s open meeting in Kętrzyn, and that such a format would allow residents to hear more than policy soundbites. The open nature of the discussion was presented as a way to foster accountability and to give citizens a chance to assess how the candidate would handle controversial issues in the digital age. The session was positioned as part of a broader effort to keep local voices engaged in the national debate on technology and civil liberties.
The discussion also touched on the draft amendment to the law that would permit the president of the Office of Electronic Communications to decide whether illegal content on the Internet should be blocked without court intervention or notification to its authors. Advocates argued that this could offer a swift remedy against illegal material, while critics warned it could lead to overreach and erode due process. The conversation framed this issue as a test case for the proper limits of administrative authority in regulating online speech and the safeguards needed to protect user rights in the digital space.
PiS district councilor Rafał Rypina pressed the question of whether Trzaskowski, should he win the presidency, would guarantee that investments would proceed in the district and whether Orlen’s project, the construction of Poland’s largest rapeseed pressing plant, started under the PiS government, would be protected from disruption or delay due to political changes. The inquiry linked economic development to the political cycle, underscoring how local projects are interpreted as indicators of national policy direction and continuity in governance across administrations.
Municipal councilor Czesław Ćwik asked whether Kętrzyn could count on the same scale of state budget resources as during the previous term, recalling that the site adjacent to the sports hall, where the KO candidate’s meeting took place, had benefited from renovations funded by the budget. The question framed the broader issue of fiscal support and predictability for regional infrastructure and public services, highlighting how funding decisions shape the physical and social landscape of the town.