KO List Controversy in Radom and Regional Reactions
The coalition list from Radom opens with Member of Parliament Joanna Kluzik Rostkowska, who also represents Radom in parliament. Yet voices in the city argue that the party should place someone more actively engaged with the region at the helm this time. PiS MP Marek Suski even suggests there is a rising discontent within the Civic Platform about Radom’s leadership choices.
In second place on the list is MP Konrad Frysztak, who climbed from fifth place in the previous election and gathered roughly 12 thousand votes then. More than 19.3 thousand votes supported Kluzik Rostkowska for a single seat, according to local tallies.
Before the KO announced district by district selections, Radom circles circulated several names for potential party leaders. Among them was Małgorzata Kidawa Błońska, who turned out to be a Senate candidate for Warsaw. In PO circles, Konrad Frysztak was seen by some as a strong first-choice contender, thanks to his four years of visible effort as a regional parliamentarian. He frequently spoke on regional issues, appeared in the media, and attended various events, including ones where PiS led activities such as the airport opening in Radom, in the presence of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
When the PO chair officially announced the list composition on Wednesday, Radom still whispered about whether the top slot should go to someone more deeply involved in the region than Kluzik Rostkowska.
For four years Kluzik Rostkowska rarely appeared in her constituency, despite holding a parliamentary seat there. After the list announcement, she visited Radom for Poland’s Army Day, an event attended by Deputy Minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz and marked by recognition of her role on the parliamentary National Defense Committee.
PiS MP Marek Suski even asked Donald Tusk on his Facebook profile about the matter, reflecting tensions within the local political mix.
What will be done about the rebels in Radom The Civic Platform in Radom declared opposition to JoAnna Kluzik Rostkowska s proposal for the list leader. The party faced open dissent and criticisms of its leadership, with some speculating that letters to the Sejm might be used as pressure tactics. That was the gist of Suski’s post.
When asked for comment, Marta Michalska Wilk, the Radom PO leader and a Sejm candidate herself, described Kluzik Rostkowska as a well known and active Member of Parliament. Because of her work on defense issues, she was presented as of particular interest. Michalska Wilk noted a strong regional defense sector in Radom, citing local manufacturers such as the Łucznik armed weapons plant and a gunpowder plant in Pionki. She asserted that a KO team led by such a figure would be competitive and fortified by regional ties.
Some urged Suski not to feed controversy where none existed and to focus on his own regional base. Local PiS activists were seen as hoping for a candidate who might outpace him and perhaps consider yielding the top spot to a female candidate, a suggestion linked to Minister Annie Moscow in some discussions.
The Radom PO leadership indicated that achieving gender balance would be a consideration, planning for the third place as part of ensuring equal participation. The Radom leadership has been active in party governance, with the PO club head in Radom City Council also serving as deputy mayor for several months, and the second deputy mayor, Katarzyna Kalinowska, preparing to run in the fall elections. These developments occurred alongside ongoing dialogues about who would take the Sejm seats in the post election period.
Other regional figures include MPs from the eighth Sejm term Leszek Ruszczyk and Anna Białkowska who are running again after not receiving enough votes in 2019. Voivodeship Councilor Tomasz Śmietanka is also seeking a seat. In Radom, there were rumors that Mayor Radosław Witkowski might not run again, though such speculation had circulated earlier. The local political scene also highlighted other candidates from the area who had previously contested the Sejm in different configurations.
Controversy Surrounding KO Lists in the Region
In the Łódź province the order of KO candidates on electoral lists remains contentious. Cezary Grabarczyk indicated to PAP that he faced a legal defect and would not be included. The President of the Łódź City Council, Marcin Gołaszewski of KO, expressed frustration after being offered seventh place on the Łódź KO list, saying, I feel brutally betrayed.
The top placements for KO in Łódź Voivodeship included Dariusz Joński from constituency No. 9 in Łódź, previously the head of the SLD in the region; Cezary Tomczyk from constituency No. 11 in Sieradz, a KO member and former government spokesman; and Piotrków Trybunalski based Bogusław Wołoszański, a historian and former TVP journalist who was reported to have ties with the communist secret police in the People’s Republic of Poland.
Political circles beyond the PO were surprised by Grabarczyk, a prominent figure in Łódź and the KO who was not placed on the KO lists. The former PO-PSL government minister cited irregularities in obtaining a gun license as well as questions about his training when he resigned in 2015.
One voice from PAP quoted a slogan about not running because a personal legal defect existed, likening the situation to a past controversy involving Mariusz Kamiński. The same sentiment echoed by a PO politician. Grabarczyk later explained that his remarks about a different politician were intentional, insisting that he would answer only what he chose to address.
In March 2015 the then Minister of the Interior and Administration Mariusz Kamiński was sentenced to three years in prison in the so-called ground scandal. Before the ruling became final, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, asked for a presidential pardon in November of that year.
A KO city council chair from Łódź, Marcin Gołaszewski, described his own view in a video about a politician’s public profile, noting that involvement and dedication to the city would be prioritized on any future list. The public response highlighted the sensitivity around placement on lists and the emotional weight candidates carry during campaigns.
The campaign atmosphere stayed tense as candidates spoke of tough placements and the disappointment of seventh places. Some participants remarked that the possibility of a seat was closely tied to past actions and current public perception. In a social video, Gołaszewski acknowledged the rough moment but urged patience and a focus on future commitments. A PO deputy from Łódź, Piątkowski, indicated willingness to press ahead, saying the campaign was not about personal history but about what could be done next for the region. A spokesperson for PO in Łódź added that while emotions run high during campaigns, the current climate should be navigated with pragmatism.
The broader Lokalist conversation closed with a reminder that the region has long been shaped by a mix of seasoned politicians and new faces, each bringing distinct contributions. In Łódź and Radom alike, the public awaits the fall elections with interest, watching how the lists and leading candidates align with regional priorities and the larger political landscape.
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mly/PAP
Source: wPolityce