2024-11-24 16:06:00
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s conservative Law and Justice party, trying to regain momentum after losing power last year, on Sunday selected historian Karol Narocki as its presidential candidate ahead of next year’s elections.
The decision culminated over the weekend when the country’s two largest parties announced their candidates for next May’s election, which will decide the successor to current President Andrzej Duda, who is serving his second and final term in office. Will end in August 2025.
Narrocchi, 41, has since 2021 headed the Institute of National Memory, a state organization that preserves archives and investigates crimes from the Second World War and the communist era. Previously, he served as director of the World War II Museum in Gdansk, his birthplace.
The news was announced at a party congress in the southern city of Krakow, a day after the main ruling party, Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Union, announced it would send progressive Warsaw Mayor Rafael Terza Skovsky as a candidate.
Although other parties will also have candidates, the race is expected to be dominated by Nauroki and Trzaskovsky.
The Law and Justice party, which was in power for eight years from 2015 to 2023, is expected to face electoral difficulties due to the loss of state funding. State election authorities earlier this year found the party had breached campaign finance rules in the 2023 parliamentary polls and imposed a million-dollar fine that will drain the party’s resources.
The constitutional calendar stipulates that the first round of presidential elections will be held on Sunday in May 2025, but the specific date has not yet been determined. If no candidate receives at least 50% of the vote in the first round, a second round will take place two weeks later between the two candidates with the most votes.
Other candidates who have announced plans to run include Szymon Hołownia, speaker of the parliament and leader of the Poland 2050 party, while the far-right Federal Party has said its candidate will be Sławomir Menzen. Mentzen ).
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This story was translated from English by AP editors with the help of generated artificial intelligence tools.
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How does Karol Narocki’s historical background shape his candidacy for the Law and Justice party in the upcoming elections?
**Interview with Political Analyst Dr. Anna Kowalska on Poland’s Upcoming Presidential Race**
*Date: November 24, 2024*
*Location: Warsaw, Poland*
**Editor**: Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Kowalska. The political landscape in Poland has changed significantly since the last parliamentary elections in October 2023. Can you give us an overview of the current situation?
**Dr. Kowalska**: Certainly. In the October 2023 elections, the opposition coalition led by Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition won a plurality, ending the Law and Justice party’s (PiS) eight-year rule. This change has set the stage for a competitive political environment as we head into the presidential elections scheduled for May 2025.
**Editor**: Speaking of the presidential elections, PiS has recently announced their candidate, Karol Narocki. What can you tell us about him?
**Dr. Kowalska**: Karol Narocki is a historian and has been the head of the Institute of National Memory since 2021. His selection as the PiS candidate is part of a broader strategy to reestablish the party’s influence after losing the parliamentary majority. This choice reflects PiS’s intention to appeal to voters who value national identity and historical consciousness, themes that Narocki embodies through his work.
**Editor**: How does Narocki’s profile compare to potential candidates from the opposition?
**Dr. Kowalska**: That remains to be seen. The opposition will also need to unify around a strong candidate to challenge Narocki. They currently have a few names being floated, but this will require strategic cooperation to consolidate their support against PiS. The election is expected to be a reflection of broader societal divisions in Poland, especially regarding issues like economic policy and immigration, which were highlighted in the recent parliamentary referendum.
**Editor**: Given the events of the past year, what issues do you believe will dominate the presidential campaign?
**Dr. Kowalska**: I think we can expect a heavy emphasis on economic recovery and social justice. Additionally, Narocki will likely face scrutiny regarding his historical interpretations and actions while leading the Institute of National Memory, particularly his views on Poland’s past relations with its neighbors and the EU. The political discourse will also be influenced by public sentiment towards immigration and the government’s handling of various domestic challenges.
**Editor**: what should voters watch for as the campaign unfolds?
**Dr. Kowalska**: Voters should be attentive to how candidates articulate their visions for Poland’s future and how they plan to address polarization within society. The effectiveness of their campaigns, particularly in connecting with everyday citizens, will be crucial in determining the outcome of the elections.
**Editor**: Thank you, Dr. Kowalska, for your insights into this unfolding political landscape in Poland.
**Dr. Kowalska**: Thank you for having me. It will be interesting to see how everything develops as we move closer to the elections.
