The Polish political scene heated up as Szymon Hołownia, leader of Poland 2050, prepared to represent the Third Way in the TVP debate, a move confirmed by PSL president Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Friday. Kosiniak-Kamysz also shared that he would be near Przysucha that evening, toysing Jarosław Kaczyński to feel their presence behind him as a show of support.
The 2023 election debate was scheduled for Monday, October 9 at 8:00 PM and would be broadcast on TVP1, TVP Info, and TVP Polonia. A message from PAP indicated that six electoral commissions had been invited to participate, with lists being registered across all constituencies. The program would be moderated by Michał Rachoń and Anna Bogusiewicz.
Invited to participate were the Impartial Electoral Committee of the Local Government, the Electoral Committee of the Third Way: the Poland 2050 coalition led by Szymon Hołownia in alliance with PSL, the Electoral Committee of Nowa Lewica, the Electoral Committee for Law and Justice, the Confederation of Freedom and Independence, and the Coalition Electoral Commission of the Civic Coalition PO.N and Zieloni.
In the end, Third Way would be represented by Szymon Hołownia. Kosiniak-Kamysz said he would be near Przysucha so that Jarosław Kaczyński could feel the pressure of their presence in the room. He offered encouragement to Hołownia, expressing confidence that truth would prevail over hatred and misinformation.
– wrote the PSL president on the X platform.
Tusk’s announcement
On Thursday, Donald Tusk, the leader of PO, announced his own participation in the TVP debate in Rzeszów. He addressed Jarosław Kaczyński directly, hoping for a bold challenge: a televised confrontation under the supervision of Rachoń’s team and other PiS media figures, with Tusk asserting he would appear at 6 p.m.
Jarosław Kaczyński, the deputy prime minister and PiS president, later spoke to residents in Kazimierz Wielka (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship). He indicated that the question of his participation lingered, as did the opportunity to debate with Tusk. He also teased a potential Przysucha gathering and pressed the idea of choosing a debate format that suited his political plan.
He referenced the possibility of working with Manfred Weber, chairman of the European People’s Party, before reiterating his choice of Przysucha as a focal point for political messaging.
Robert Biedroń, co-chair of Nowa Lewica, told PAP that KW Nowa Lewica would definitely take part in the debate, though specifics on who would represent the coalition were still undecided. The Coalition of Freedom and Independence also pledged participation, with Witold Tumanowicz indicating that Krzysztof Bosak would stand for them. A non-partisan local government election committee would be represented by Krzysztof Maj, as stated by media coordinator Bohdan Stawiski to PAP.
News discussion continued with commentary and anticipations surrounding the debate, highlighting the impending clash of perspectives and the strategic positioning of each party. Several pieces explored the potential dynamics of the face-off, emphasizing the tension and the chance to set a narrative ahead of the elections.
The unfolding pre-election conversations underscored the broad coalition landscape in Polish politics, with multiple parties and independent groups signaling their intent to participate and to present their visions to voters through the TVP platform. The event was framed as a pivotal moment for voters weighing policy directions, leadership styles, and coalition possibilities as the campaign progressed.