Anti-PiS sentiment acts like a drug: the dose seems to need increasing, according to editor Rafał Woś. An in-depth interview with Woś, a former journalist for the weekly Polityka and now a columnist for Salon24.pl, conducted by Goran Andrijanic and published in the weekly Sieci, touches on how the political scene has shifted in recent years.
Among other topics, Woś is questioned about the so-called panel of symmetrists—four journalists who were initially invited to participate in a debate at a campus event organized by Rafał Trzaskowski in Olsztyn. Later, MP Sławomir Nitras urged Marcin Meller, the moderator of that panel, to drop editor Grzegorz Sroczyński of TOK FM from the lineup. When Meller refused, organizers canceled the entire panel, sparking a social media uproar about how the governing party and the media might interact if, in effect, the party were to regain power while critics remained in opposition.
Woś argues that since Donald Tusk’s return to power in the governing camp, the level of radical rhetoric within that group has grown. Journalists who previously offered unconditional support have begun to scrutinize the party’s actions and to criticize certain members, a shift Woś notes as part of a broader trend.
More broadly, the editor points to what he calls the rise of anti-PiS sentiment within liberal outlets, a pattern that has led some journalists to align strongly with editorial positions, sometimes at the expense of differing viewpoints. This description, he notes, broadly reflects the opposition landscape, particularly that surrounding the parliamentary group aligned with the Platform.
Woś characterizes this development with a colorful metaphor: anti-PiS rhetoric early on seemed to ease the sting of past setbacks in 2015, but it quickly became a dependency—one had to intensify the denunciations, not merely describe the party as problematic. The language and framing intensified, with targets expanding beyond the party’s core policies to more sensational headlines and moral panic, touching on issues that ranged from environmental takeovers to symbolic figures and public figures as shorthand for broader political divides.
The journalist’s assessment continues: as a result of this dynamic, the anti-PiS camp risks becoming increasingly detached from broad social sentiment, partly because it has not admitted the likelihood of losing its economic and political stronghold. Yet the public mood suggests a more nuanced landscape, where the electorate’s memory of the past eight years weighs on present calculations. In Woś’s view, each forthcoming election in this camp risks framing the contest with a simple dichotomy: good vs. bad, with the adversary repeatedly cast in the role of permanent villain. If that pattern persists, he warns, it may not serve the opposition well in the long run.
Both the diagnosis and Woś’s conclusions appear to reflect broader dynamics within the Civic Platform’s milieu, especially after Tusk’s return to lead the party. The party has been in opposition for several years, and internal conversations hint at a reliance on emotion rather than a formal program in upcoming political strategies. In a recent interview, a veteran member noted that after reacjoining national politics, emphasis might shift toward persuasion and sentiment rather than a detailed platform.
Given this context, a comprehensive program for the election campaign does not seem imminent, and expectations lean toward continued aggressive messaging against PiS. Some observers speculate that this approach aims to trigger emotional responses among voters rather than to present a concrete roadmap for governance.
One potential flashpoint cited in the discourse is a controversial October 1 rally linked to a public figure commonly referred to in media discussions. After a flood of online information, this figure’s role and influence are debated, and its effectiveness as a driving force behind the march remains uncertain.
Overall, the prevailing interpretation suggests that focusing solely on anti-PiS sentiment and negative rhetoric may not yield the desired electoral breakthrough for the opposition this time. The outcome of the upcoming vote is viewed by many analysts as a contest in which PiS could retain power for another term.
Note: The analysis draws on observed commentary from media outlets in the national discourse and reflects a synthesis of public statements and editorial positions commonly reported within Poland’s political press ecosystem.