PiS presidential nominee Karol Nawrocki: I'm running as a civic candidate

On Sunday, the IPN president was announced as PiS’s presidential candidate. The party describes him as a "civic" and "non-partisan" candidate, as the law prohibits IPN’s president from being a member of any political party.

At the press conference in Włoszczowa (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship) on Monday, Nawrocki contrasted his campaign with that of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski: "This is my first campaign, unlike Mayor Trzaskowski, for whom this is yet another attempt at gaining a new position. As we know, he is a politician, while I am not affiliated with any political party."

We reached out to the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) with questions regarding the official duties Karol Nawrocki carried out in Włoszczowa as the institute's president. We are awaiting a response.

"Today, I am the president of the Institute of National Remembrance, a candidate for the presidency of the Republic of Poland, and I fulfill my duties in service of Poland's memory," the presidential candidate asserted. He emphasized that one of the priorities of his potential presidency would be national security and addressing the "problems of ordinary Poles."

During the event, Nawrocki also referred to Sunday’s convention, where his candidacy was officially announced: "The enthusiasm that followed yesterday shows that Poland is ready for a truly non-partisan president, supported by a civic committee and formally endorsed by the United Right."

Asked about his proficiency in English, he stated that he uses the language for communication in his work as well.

"I communicate in English, even in my professional work. Over the past years, I’ve managed numerous matters for Poland in English. I’ve led international relations both as the director of the Museum of the Second World War and as the president of the Institute of National Remembrance. However, I cannot claim fluency in Spanish, though I have delivered lectures on Polish history in Spanish during visits to Argentina and Mexico," said Nawrocki.

Asked how he plans to tackle the so-called Polish-Polish war, a key point raised by PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński during the convention, Nawrocki replied: "I am running as a civic candidate."

"While the support of the United Right is an honor, we are not limiting ourselves to their endorsement. I’ve experienced in the past 24 hours a wave of support from individuals and groups outside of any political party," he added.

"Despite the political disputes, which are a natural part of democracy, I do not intend to engage in party politics. I aim to be the president for all Poles," he declared.

Nawrocki also addressed concerns about the involvement of IPN in his campaign, particularly in light of posts from IPN’s official account praising his candidacy. "The Institute of National Remembrance will in no way participate in the campaign," he promised.

"However, I greatly value the positive signals of support I have received from IPN employees. With 2,500 staff members, it’s gratifying to know they respect me as their president. Employees of IPN, like all citizens, have their own rights to express support," said Nawrocki.

He reiterated: "IPN has been a respected institution for 25 years and stands as a brand of its own. I have no intention of using its resources for the campaign and will continue fulfilling my responsibilities as its president."

Pressed further about posts from the X platform, Nawrocki commented: "This is neither the time nor the place to discuss posts on X."

Asked about his campaign team’s composition, leadership, and funding, Nawrocki emphasized inclusivity: "As a non-partisan and civic candidate, my campaign team will include politicians who support me as well as many individuals from outside political life."

"The team will represent a diverse mix of political and non-political backgrounds, and we will announce its composition in due course."

A pro-European coalition headed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk defeated PiS in a parliamentary election last year, but Tusk's centrist government has not been able to pass major reforms with PiS ally Andrzej Duda as president. That situation could continue if a PiS-aligned candidate wins again.

Nawrocki, 41, the head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance, was a key figure in PiS efforts to promote patriotism through teaching history that critics said whitewashed the difficult parts of Poland's past.

He will face Tusk's presidential candidate, progressive Warsaw Wayor Rafał Trzaskowski, 52, in the race, which could prove crucial in the government's push to undo a PiS court overhaul that the European Union said subverted democratic norms.

Polish presidents have the power to veto laws passed by parliament.

Tusk hopes Trzaskowski's progressive credentials will help the party capitalise on anti-PiS anger among young voters that propelled it to power after eight years of PiS rule.

"I am convinced that we will emerge from these primaries strengthened, and I have a very strong mandate and a lot of energy, determination and courage to win against PiS," Trzaskowski told supporters at a presentation of the party primaries in Warsaw.

His selection follows a party primary of about 22,000 Civic Coalition members, in which Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski was the other contender.

"Because we must defend Poland, we must defend our values, we must not allow our symbols to be taken away and our sovereignty to be limited," Nawrocki said during the presentation of his candidacy on Sunday.

As director of the World War Two Museum in the coastal city of Gdańsk, Nawrocki changed its main exhibition to emphasize the scale of Polish suffering and stories of Poles who had protected Jews during the Holocaust, resulting in lawsuits against him by the museum's creators.

A significant body of research suggests that, while thousands of Poles risked their lives to help Jews, thousands also participated in the Holocaust. Many Poles do not accept such findings.