The deputy marshal of the Sejm, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, is poised to become the first member from the civic coalition to appear on the Sejm ballot in the Toruń district, according to information obtained by PAP. Arkadiusz Myrcha, a Toruń-based member of parliament, is reported to take the second spot on the list.
Kidawa-Błońska as the leading name in Toruń?
Officials have not yet confirmed Kidawa-Błońska’s candidacy for the Sejm election within the Toruń constituency at the National Council meeting scheduled by the Civic Platform on Wednesday. Early indications, however, suggest this is the most likely outcome at present. Kidawa-Błońska has held the post of Deputy Speaker of the Sejm since November 2015, after serving as the temporary president of the Sejm for several months and acting as the government spokesperson from February to June 2015.
Her political timeline includes a presidential bid in December 2019, when she was nominated as the Civic Platform candidate. As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, she suspended her campaign and, in May, stepped away from the race for the presidency. The Civic Platform later supported Rafał Trzaskowski instead of Kidawa-Błońska in the presidential contest. Since 2005, Kidawa-Błońska has been a Member of Parliament, and in 2019 she ran for the Sejm representing the Warsaw district, garnering more than 416,000 votes.
Lenz and Hartwich in the candidate lineup in Toruń
According to PAP, Arkadiusz Myrcha from Toruń is expected to be the second candidate listed on the Civic Coalition ticket for the Toruń district. He has served in parliament since 2015, and the third position on the list is anticipated to go to a female candidate, most likely Iwona Hartwich, who has been a Sejm member since 2019. In another part of the coalition plan, Tomasz Lenz is projected to run as the Senate candidate under the Senate Pact in the Toruń constituency, continuing his long parliamentary career after serving as a member of the Sejm for multiple terms. Lenz previously represented the Civic Platform and now aligns with the broader coalition through this Senate bid.
These developments reflect ongoing efforts within the coalition to assemble a cohesive slate across both chambers of Poland’s parliament in the Toruń region, balancing experience with fresh representation. The strategic placement of veteran deputies alongside rising figures is aimed at maximizing electoral appeal and securing durable support across urban and suburban constituencies. Such positioning also signals the coalition’s intent to present a unified front as competition intensifies in the run-up to the elections.
Analysts note that the distribution of seats on the Toruń list signals a deliberate mix of continuity and renewal. Kidawa-Błońska’s prominence within the Civic Platform, combined with Myrcha’s parliamentary tenure and Hartwich’s emergence as a new voice, is designed to resonate with voters who value stable leadership while welcoming experienced legislators who can navigate legislative processes. The inclusion of Lenz as a Senate candidate underscores the coalition’s plan to maintain a broad geographic and demographic reach by contesting both houses with recognizable figures and policy-oriented candidates.
Observers familiar with the party dynamics point out that the Toruń district, like several regional contests, could become a bellwether for how the Civic Coalition orchestrates its national strategy. The lineup choices appear to be driven by a desire to balance regional loyalty with wider party credibility, aiming to convert local support into a broader national mandate. Critics, meanwhile, will likely scrutinize the administrative mechanisms behind candidate selection and the degree to which the slate reflects a consistent ideological posture across districts.
In summary, the Toruń district is poised to feature a high-profile pairing of Kidawa-Błońska and Myrcha, supported by Hartwich and supported by an experienced Senate candidate in Tomasz Lenz. The unfolding decision process remains contingent on formal approvals, but the present trajectory points toward a consolidated front for the Civic Coalition in this key electoral arena. (Source: wPolityce)