Fourteen candidates for Mayor of Warsaw took part in a live TV debate hosted by public television (TVP) together with two major private broadcasters (TVN and Polsat).
It was the first time in history of Warsaw local elections when all fourteen candidates for Mayor of Warsaw faced each other.
The candidates are: Mayor of Targówek Disctrict Sławomir Antonik (Non-Partisans), Justyna Glusman (City Activists Coalition "City Is Ours"), the leader of the Social Justice Movement Piotr Ikonowicz, Deputy Justice Minister Patryk Jaki (United Right), Kukiz'15 MP Marek Jakubiak, Liberty Party Chairman Janusz Korwin-Mikke, Krystyna Krzekotowska from World Polish Congress, Jan Potocki (Second Republic of Poland), Andrzej Rozenek (Democratic Left Alliance), spokesman of the Polish People's Party Jakub Stefaniak, leader of the Free City of Warsaw Jan Śpiewak (Warsaw Wins), Paweł Tanajno (Election Committee No-Traffic-Jam Warsaw. RIGCZ. Tanajno. Hawajska+), Civic Platform MP Rafał Trzaskowski (Civic Coalition) and former Deputy Mayor of Warsaw Jacek Wojciechowicz.
A week ahead of the local elections that are scheduled for Sunday, 21st of October, the candidates took their chances to convince those undecided voters. Each candidate answered six identical questions in 45 seconds and had additional 30 seconds for a riposte. Before the end, each candidate had 30 seconds for a final statement.
The debate has been broadcast by three TV stations and was hosted by three presenters, one from each station: Igor Sokołowski from TVN24, Edyta Lewandowska from TVP Info and Piotr Witwicki from Polsat News. The order of answering was set in a draw.
In the final part of the debate, the candidates had 30 second each to speak freely. However, it was available only for those candidates who didn't use their time earlier. That meant Andrzej Rozenek and Krystyna Krzekotowska couldn't take part.
Justyna Glusman: Local government is not a space for political wars or ideological disputes. Managing Warsaw is a difficult task, everyday problems are most important. On October 21, vote for me and city activists.
Jan Potocki:I would like to thank Mr Jaki and Mr Trzaskowski for promoting our programme, but at the same time it was disappointing to see them commencing their campaigns before scheduled time.
Jakub Stefaniak:I would like to thank everyone for listening to my programme. Only one of us can win, but I think that whoever turns out victorious, we will work together.
Janusz Korwin-Mikke: Earlier I was saying about drivers. I want to ask Mrs Gronkiewicz-Waltz if she would stop all trains for three hours in order to let a marathon pass? No. But she did that to drivers. I will cut through the railroad that separates Warsaw.
Jan Śpiewak: I want to become the Mayor of Warsaw because I love our city. Vote with your heart on the candidates of Warsaw Wins committee.
Patryk Jaki: Having respect for all that has been done so far, I would like to propose five new impulses: construction of a new metro line, parking spaces, 50 new nurseries and kindergartens and a district of future.
Marek Jakubiak: Warsaw should be a city that everyone wants to live in. It has to be run by a skillful manager and host, who would liquidate all the idiocies right away. I am such man.
Rafał Trzaskowski: Warsaw deserves serious treatment, credibility, stability and predictability, and not politicians who change their minds all the time. We should go and vote for people that want Warsaw for all.
Piotr Ikonowicz: In Warsaw's City Council, one in four councillor is a millionaire, and people of Warsaw aren't miilonaires. I have been helping citizens of Warsaw for 15 years now and it's not going to change.
Jacek Wojciechowicz: This campaign is mainly based on intimidation and false promises, that are domains of Civic Platform and Law and Justice. The former has been running Warsaw in recent years and couldn't stop the latter. Show them a red card.
Sławomir Antonik: I've been a District Mayor for 12 years, I know how local governments work and I encourage everyone to vote for the Non-Partisans, because we're from here and we know how to manage our time.
Paweł Tanajno: I would like to address Civic Platform supporters. The polls are merciless, Patryk Jaki won't win the vote. However, we don't have vote driven by fear of Law and Justice. You don't have vote on Trzaskowski, as there are still liberals among us that didn't give up their liberal values.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International