WARSAW – Poland’s ruling Civic Coalition has chosen Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of Warsaw, as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election. The announcement, made on Saturday, marks a strategic move to regain control of a position pivotal to implementing justice reforms sought by the European Union.
Trzaskowski, 52, aims to unseat outgoing President Andrzej Duda, a close ally of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party. Duda has been a significant obstacle to reversing judicial changes introduced during PiS’s rule, which Brussels criticizes for undermining democratic standards.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the Civic Coalition are banking on Trzaskowski’s progressive appeal, particularly among younger voters, who played a crucial role in ending PiS’s eight-year dominance in parliamentary elections last year.
“I am convinced we will emerge from these primaries stronger,” Trzaskowski declared during the announcement in Warsaw. “I have the energy, determination, and courage to win against PiS.”
Trzaskowski was selected after a primary involving approximately 22,000 Civic Coalition members, where he competed against Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. The PiS party is expected to reveal its candidate on Sunday.