Poland’s outgoing president, Andrzej Duda, ruled the first circular of Sunday’s presidential election, but will now face Warsaw’s mayor, Rafa-Trzaskowski, on 12 July.
According to Trzaskowski, who is a component of the Liberal Civic Platform (PO), the Polish electorate has a difficult choice: they have to choose between an “open Poland” or a leader “still dividing.”
While Duda aims to continue its programme of constitutional reforms, which have put it at odds with the European Union, the pro-EU Trzaskowski needs to heal with the bloc. The two presidential applicants are also fiercely divided on the FACTOR of LGBT rights in the country.
Here’s a look at the life and career of Rafa Trzaskowski.
Born in Warsaw in 1972, Trzaskowski graduated from universities before completing a doctorate. He embarked on a political career, first as an adviser to the PO delegation to the European Parliament, before being elected to the European Parliament in 2009.
He then served in Donald Tusk’s government as Minister of Administration and Digitisation from 2013-2014. He won a seat in the Sejm – Poland’s parliament – in the 2015 general election, which PO lost to rivals the Law and Justice Party (PiS). After his party’s defeat, he served as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs on the opposition benches.
As a Member of Parliament, he has focused heavily on problems similar to foreign affairs, European policy, defence and coverage of civil rights and minorities.
In 2018, he elected mayor of Warsaw, defeating his opponent PiS in a landslide. He brought a loose nursery program and advanced the public shipment of the city by purchasing greener vehicles. His time as mayor “investment time,” says Ewa Marciniak, a political scientist at the University of Warsaw.
But he also gained nationwide attention for signing a declaration of support for the LGBT community, which has given him “the image of a progressive politician”, she told Euronews.
“Rafa-Trzaskowski is well inscribed in the Warsaw political landscape. It’s urban, metropolitan. This fits with the Varsozanos (Warsaw residents) and those who have worked here recently,” he said.
He is known as a type of polyglot, for speaking English, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish in addition to his local Polish.
He made a Knight of the Legion of Honour through France.
Since the PO’s presidential candidate was elected, the Trzaskowski party’s election customers have taken a step forward remarkably. His call wasn’t even in the poll until the election was postponed after the coronavirus crisis. The original PO candidate, Ma-gorzata Kidawa-B-ska, retired amid the fall of opinion polls, with Trzaskowski selected to update it.
According to Ipsos’ projection of Sunday’s vote, Duda won 41.8% of the vote and 30.4% of Trzaskowski’s votes.
“If these effects are confirmed, we are in a very close position for a very close moment,” The project official at the European Council on Foreign Relations told Euronews Pawe-Zerka.
Official effects are expected to be released on Wednesday night after the votes sent are counted.
“More than 58% of our society sought replacement and I would like to tell you that I will be your candidate, the replacement candidate,” Trzaskowski told his supporters after the first round of voting.
So what would this replacement look look like? Duda’s social welfare policies, which have lifted many older Poles out of poverty, unsurprisingly, have been shown among voters, and Trzaskowski has indicated that he will keep them if he becomes president. However, the two differ markedly on other topics.
After Trzaskowski signed the LGBT Rights Statement, Duda, who presented the electorate with a platform of conservative and devoted values, infuriated LGBT activists and ers when he promised to protect families from “LGBT ideology,” saying it was more dangerous. than communism.
Trzaskowski’s platform includes civil unions for same-sex couples, opposition to more difficult abortion laws and state recovery for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
He said he would cooperate with the government by making “rational decisions,” but said, “I will allow attempts to violate the letter or the rule of law.” The European Union has challenged the Polish government in reforms it perceives as threats to judicial independence, democratic establishments and basic rights.
“Rafa-Trzaskowski creates the concepts of new solidarity, small investments and a blank air policy. This shows that other people in large and small towns have the same problems. It’s a message that shows that it’s not ideology that matters, but problem-solving. It gives you the ability to get a smart result,” Marciniak said.
It is strongly connected to PO’s liberal left wing, according to Polish news reports Notes from Poland. Its biggest weakness says theArray lies beyond cities, where the PiS appeals to more right-wing classical values.
In Poland, the president can propose a new law and can veto legislation passed in parliament. The president is also the ideal commander of the armed forces and has a role in foreign policy.
Marciniak told Euronews that he would tame the symbol of a “moderate in the political center,” which would offer a “reasonable alternative” to Andrzej Duda.
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