POLISH NEWS BYTES – 19 May 2025
Compiled by Robert Strybel, Warsaw Correspondent
(Updated 19 May 2025)
Trzaskowski in 1 June run-off with Nawrocki Warsaw’s strongly left-leaning. Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski narrowly won the first round of Poland’s presidential election by garnering 30.8% of the vote, the National Electoral Commission announced on the day after the election. His conservative rival, Karol Nawrocki, won 29.1% support. That under-3%-margin-of-error difference took all the weaponizing the Tusk-led ruling coalition was able to muster. It controlled all of Poland’s mainstream media and freely used them to smear Nawrocki and promote. its deceitful narration at every turn. Trzaskowski, a LGBT afficcionado and consummate pro-abortionist got passed off by the Tusk mob as a follower of St John Paul II’s teachings. As soon as the official first-round results were announced, Trzaskowski revealed his intention to effectively unleash religious warfare in Poland by forcibly separating Church and state. Poland’s constitutional order clearly defines the Church and state as two sovereign entities in their respective realms that work together for the common good. Such discrepancies do not seem to phase the left-leaning establishment which apparently espouses the Goebbels principel a lie repeated a hundred times becoems the truth.late. The move came amid irrefutable evidence of Kremlin-inspired sabotage on Polish territory.
How the ruling coalition managed to avoid provocative questions. You claim to be a common-sense, centrist candidate, opposed to radical measures. If so, why did you declare Warsaw a LGBT charter city soon after getting elected its mayor? Why did you tell a nationally televised talk show that you owed your college nickname “dupiarz” (ass-man) to your reputation as a deflorater of freshman college girls? That may have triggered the envy of Alpha Male types, but it is hardly a universal vote-getter. Why do you never mention your Jewish roots? Aren’t you proud of your ancestry? Such questions are never heard at Trzaskowski pressers, because non-Tuskite reporters never get invited.
Sanitizing Trzaskowski’s leftist-hedonist image Rafał Trzaskowski has been ordered to make his image acceptable to a wider spectrum of Polish voters. Known in the past for outrageously libertine views, when asked if he believed in God, he replied: “Yes. In the God of Spinoza.” That referred to 17th-century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza, believed to have advocated hedonistic Pantheism to mask his atheist views. Now Trzaskowski has invited journalists to his Święcone (Polish Easter breakfast of Church-blessed delicacies), says his favorite religious hymn is “Boże coś Polskę” and claims to identify with the teachings of Saint John Paul II. Any journalists who could challenge those preposterous claims did not get invited to Tusk-sponsored events.
Democracy is when it serves the Tusk agenda – Duda’s parting thoughts. President Andrzej Duda, whose term ends in August, is currently summarizing his observations and experiences. He pointed out the alleged “incredible hypocrisy” of readily accepting the Supreme Court’s confirmation of Tusk’s 2024 election victory but condemning that very same body as illegal whenever it rules against the liberal-leftist camp. Then the Tuskites accuse it of overstepping its competence and dismiss it as illegal, Duda said.
Poland will not send peacekeepers to Ukraine – Sikorski Poland’s FM Radosław Sikorski recently reiterated his country’s long-standing decision not to send its military to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping mission. He was reacting to the statement of Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg who had suggested that “British, French, German and potentially Polish peacekeeping forces could be stationed west of the River Dnipro as part of a settlement to end Russia’s war.” The Kremlin has firmly stated that it would never allow NATO troops to enter Ukraine.
“Ordinary spanking” triggers leftist tirade during presidential debate. Leftist candidate Magdalena Biejat unleashed an anti-conservative tirade during a nationally televised, four-hour presidential debate. She attacked rival candidate Sławomir Mentzen of the hard-right Confederation party, saying: “You have often said beating children is OK. Do you also advocate other forms of violence like child neglect and non-support?” Mentzen, who had never advocated “beating children,” was shocked that anyone could possibly equate criminal neglect and non-support with an “ordinary spanking” (Polish: zwykły klaps).
Cities rename public space in honor of courageous Ukraine. Kraków has named an area outside the Russian consulate as “Free Ukraine Square” in a show of support for Poland’s embattled and war-weary but resilient eastern neighbor. Poland recently expelled Russian diplomats as personae non gratae from their Kraków consulate amid irrefutable evidence of Kremlin-inspired sabotage on Polish territory. Kraków is the latest in a line of Polish cities renaming public space in this way.
Exhumations recover remains of at least 42 massacred Poles. Exhumations in Ukraine have so far recovered the skeletal fragments of at least 42 Poles massacred by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II. This is seen as a major breakthrough for two allied nations bitterly divided over the atrocities. Many Ukrainians regard, the war-time Ukrainian Insurrectionist Army as brave freedom-fighters struggling for Ukrainian independence. By Poles they are seen as rampaging, genocidal terrorists. Kyiv had previously banned Polish exhumation on its territory, but seems to have relented to promote national reconciliation.
European Parliament lifts immunity of Polish far-right MEP. The European Parliament has voted to strip hard-right Polish MEP Grzegorz Braun of his parliamentary immunity. Known to initiate openly anti-Semitic happenings, last year he used a fire extinguisher to douse Hanukkah candles at an ecumenical ceremony taking place in Poland’s Sejm (parliament). Braun, a contender in Poland’s 18 May presidential election, proudly states that as president he will prevent what he calls “Poland’s ongoing Judaizaiton.” Braun and two leftist candidates enjoy the least single-digit support of all 13 presidential hopefuls.
Priciest Polish gold coin may fetch $1.4 million+ at auction. The priciest Polish gold coin ever auctioned was minted in 1621 to celebrate the victory of Poland’s King Zygmunt III Waza over the invading Ottoman Turks. The spectacular 100‑ducat, 22-carat gold coin will go under the hammer with a starting price of $1.4 million.
Poland’s in-womb surgical facility marks 20th anniversary. A pioneering, prenatal surgical unit in the southern Polish city of Bytom recently marked the 20th anniversary of its first in-womb operation. Back then, extraordinary manual precision was required when working with microscopic fetal organs in a race against time. The slightest delays could cause irreversible harm, lifelong suffering, paralysis or death. Since then, in-womb surgical procedures have become routine and are now carried out at such clinics around the globe.
Poland the safest, budget-friendly country for solo females – Wethrift In its analysis of the top 30 countries on the Women, Peace and Security Index, the Wethrift budget platform ranked Poland first with a score of 99.59%. The country stood out for its strong safety rating—61.9% even for walking alone at night—and low daily costs, including an average of $7.37 for food and $1.14 for transport. The study also highlighted Poland’s cultural richness, positioning it as both a safe and engaging option for women traveling alone. “Poland’s impressive combination of affordability and safety creates a welcoming environment for solo female travelers,” commented Wethrift CEO Nick Drewe.
EAST OF THE BORDER & BEYOND Compiled by Robert Strybel, Warsaw Correspondent (Updated 18 May 2025)
No-Show Putin pours cold water on direct talks with Zelensky – CNN Days of speculation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could meet with Russian dictator Putin in Turkey have ended with the Kremlin pouring cold water on the idea, confirming that the Russian leader had decided not to show up for talks he himself had suggested. The possibility of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine was not immediately off the table, however, with lower-level delegations from both countries known to be in Turkey. Is Putin’s arm sore from patting himself on the back for once again making fools of Trump, Zelensky, the EU, NATO, BRICS and anyone else foolish enough to believe a single word he utters?
Twists and turns of halfhearted peace efforts and failed diplomacy Shortly after Putin launched his February 2022 attack on Ukraine, a still fledgling Zelensky naively agreed to meet Kremlin stooges in Belarus to discuss a “peace plan” while the genocide and destruction continued. Recently, the top EU powers met in Kyiv to discuss Trump’s planned ceasefire leading to peace talks. Like a jack-in-the-box Putin suddenly voiced his opposition to a ceasefire, proposing direct talks with Zelensky, something he had rejected outright. Trump jumped at the opportunity which will mean more empty discussion, more stalling, confusion and ultimately bloodshed, although he MAGA man had pledged to end the war with a single phone call. The bottom line seems obvious: Putin will use any twist, turn or ruse to continue the massacre.
Pope Leo XI plans trip to Ukraine, Italian daily Reppublica reports. No date nor details were initially mentioned. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Ze invited the new Pontiff to visit his country. Three years ago, the then Archbishop Robert Prévost had condemned Russia’s aggression, and the criminal atrocities committed against the Ukrainian nation. The new Pontiff has embraced the motto “Never again war, extending it to Gaza, Pakistan and wherever else belligerence rages.
New Supreme Pontiff invokes Eastern Church legacy of predecessor Leo XIV, the newly elected Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, has invoked the Eastern Church legacy of his great predecessor, Leo XIII who ruled the Holy See from 1878 to 1903. The Holy Father quoted the words of Saint John Paul II who had emphasized the “exceptional role Eastern Christianity had to play.” As Pope, the former Kraków Archbishop Karol Wojtyła, had referred to the Catholic Byzantine Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church as well as the Roman Catholic Churches of Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe as “the Light from the East,” as contrasted to the decadent hedonism of the materialistic West.
