News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Spike31
He is preaching to his own choir. No boost will come. When the employment and economic numbers start coming out PiS should be done. This topic will last about 5 minutes in the debates. Duda will look like a complete incompetent when pressed on the economy.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@kondzior
You may not, but a lot of other tourism realted business not only want it, but need it more than ever now.

@Spike31
I agree with you. The militant marches are a joke. So why give more fuel to them with this stupid posturing? Leave them alone. Stop recognizing there is even a movement. Let people who live together have some rights to medical information and inheritance regardless of where they are same sex or not and move along. Couple who are opposite sex have no rights either unless they are married, and that is simply stupid too.

Poland looks absolutely stupid on the world stage. Doesn't anyone care about how the country is perceived by other intelligent people? By foreign investors? By the people with real money? Poland needs money. Not to alienate people who have it.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

PiS doesn't understand how this effects Poland internationally. Any family with a member who is LGBTQ isn't going to be coming to Poland to spend their money now. That's how people respond to this kind of thing today. I am not pro LGBTQ or anti. I simply don't care about them either way, and most people are the same. People who obsess over this may have something they are hiding themselves. Who really cares who does what in their own home. Gays have been around since the down of time, its not going away. Just a joke of a campaign platform.

Now lets see how those unemployment numbers look when they start leaking out in a few days. An 11% increase in the last three months will show anyone with half a brain that PiS cant manage a crisis, and they sure cant manage a country.

I wonder if PiS have their suits designed by Hugo Boss too. Anyone know?

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

This is hilarious. A presidential election platform of banning homosexual education? This is the best PiS can come up with? Preaching to the choir who is already singing his praises is not exactly a surgical execution to garner more voters. If this guy is re-elected based on this policy Poland will laughed at. This policy sounds far too familiar to something that was tried in the 30's by another guy. Hmmmmmm just cant put my finger on the name......

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

While PiS may still hold much of rural Poland, they have also scared the $**t out of their older voters with the virus. Just look around and clearly people who are older are staying inside more. They wont come out until the all clear is given. I think some of them will simply not vote because of this and because some think there is no way Duda could not win.

I also believe that when all the Poles came home from abroad at the start of this, that PiS didnt anticipate those younger people being here to vote in the election. Just how many young people came home? That demographic alone is likely enough to swing some districts and they wont be voting PiS. How many young people have lost jobs, their business, or had friends who lost jobs and/or a business? If people vote with emotion, which some believe, then those massive numbers will not vote PiS.

In the end, every election comes down to money. Who is going to do the best job to get the most money into the hands of the most people. Or it is about removing the group who screwed up the money, whether they are directly responsible or not. It is this way everywhere. When people cant pay their bills, or lost a business, they dont care if the neighbor across the hall is gay, they care about getting their life back.

To think that some ideology campaign is going to work in todays corona climate is wishful thinking at best. PiS would have rolled to victory if not for the virus and how it handled the money during the virus. Any pittance of money for holidays or something else is too little too late. They have shown they are completely incompetent to manage crisis and manage the economy. Those are the two things that matter most to most people.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

Have to agree with Spike as well. Well said. I think this is what 90% of Poland thinks and its a very small percentage that want the craziness we see in San Francisco and other places. I dont see straight pride months being worked on anywhere, so why does there have to be a gay pride month? The whole "I need a cause" mentality is really interfering with clear and rational decision making on the things that really effect society. This is on all sides of politics. Movements or personal matters should not be political issues.

Anyone thinking theyare certain on how this election will end clearly hasn't looked at recent history. I think this is a dead heat in the second round. The person who mobilizes the most people wins. Anyone thinking its locked up and doesnt mobilize the vote is going to be very disappointed at the results. This is exactly why I dont think Duda can win.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Spike31
He and his party have done nothing for the country to advance it other than spend EU money. The country is in a recession and paying out more than its taking in. Pretty simple to explain, now what is the PiS Duda solution?

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Spike31
I think you are so far off base on Duda that you cant see straight. Duda has no appetite for winning, his campaign is a laughing stock outside of PiS to all challengers. He is embarrassing and offers no stability. You clearly arent seeing any other news other than TVP.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Spike31
You are way off. Coming out of a pandemic and a clear recession coupled with inflation, more people than ever are looking for substance. This is not an emotional election except for the old PiS guard who will do anything to hold on to power. The problem is they dont know how to use the power, and the country has seen the corruption and failed leadership for five years. Duda is not capable to framing a picture let alone framing his opposition. He is simply incompetent. We will all know the direction of things starting in 17 days though. Momentum is a curious thing. Like an avalanche it can pick up speed and crush everything in its path. Momentum is not something PiS has and they dont have enough time to create it. Its going to be fun to watch.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Ironside
Isn't it sad the the President of Poland has zero leadership responsibilities if that's the case? Shouldn't that change? While I would agree that the Prime Minister likely has more power, he isn't even a real leader and has no leadership qualities. Its absolutely clear they all got to power by promising money to people who wanted it and not by any real plan or change.

Watching JK on TV is really quite funny though. The leader of the "party" looks half dead, and the country allows this man to dictate policy through the PM and President? Some of the things this group has done is really globally embarrassing. Censorship of a song because JK actually broke the law when no one else could? WOW Talk about gutless leaders, they cant even take the heat of their own actions. Then the paid rants on TVP against the competition, sound like spoiled children saying who's ideas are better to build the lemonade stand.

The EU will eventually fail. It is simply a bad experiment. The EU president is more of a CEO of a big board of directors and he simply manages those meeting and agendas based on the boards suggestions and wants. I don't know enough about Germany to say anything intelligent so I will accept your comparison.

The only point i am trying to make with any of this discussion is that Poland, while having tremendous opportunity to develop into a European power is squandering the opportunity on needless arguments. It is wasting money, and killing the thought of growth. This is not what leaders do for their country, it is what people do who usually get investors money to run a company and then they end up bankrupt pointing the finger at everyone else.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Spike31
Maybe Bosak would beat Trzaskowski, but thats not what is going to happen. Everyone will seek to destroy Duda and PiS in turn in the debates. Judgmental about his looks is not really a platform that even PiS supporters would buy into. Even PiS supporters want to hear something substantive.

Looking at Duda I personally see an incompetent clown with JK's arm so far up his a$$ that if Duda opens his mouth to wide you see JK's fingers. Duda doesn't come across as a leader, or even manly. The guy has zero presidential charisma. He is not someone who can motivate people or lead people. He has had 5 years and has done absolutely nothing.

Maybe Trzaskowski drinks latte, who knows, and who cares. He knows the issues, has the pedigree, and education to be respected on the world stage of Politics. I can imagine how Trump laughs about Duda and how weak he is. Trump may be many things but he is at least a leader, right or wrong he picks a direction and goes. Putin is a leader. Even the donkey Boris in England is a leader. Duda has zero leadership qualities. Not once in five years has he had an idea of his own. Maybe we should focus on who does the best for the most people in Poland and not who serves his one antiquated idea master.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

Duda cant escape the debates. He will look absolutely amateur in comparison. This may actually be funny. Karta Rodziny will be forgotten about after today's holiday. Its not even worth the attention it got yesterday. Most of what he proposed he cant even do without support of the government which he wont get.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

Its an interesting exit poll. One of the reasons I think most polls are off is because the government ordered people home at the beginning of the pandemic. Lots of young people came home from their jobs abroad, lots of them who are going to be politically active in 17 days that may or may not have been if they were still abroad.

While PiS is certainly the choice with the older demographic, their numbers really jump after 50 yrs of age. KO is steady throughout every demographic. Konfederacja drops off after 30 but the collective opposition is pretty steady when you look at things.

PiS has really pooped the bed, the campaign is really laughable on their end. Only people who blindly follow the party will buy into what they are selling. Trzaskowski comes off as young, intelligent, energetic, and representing the "Poland" that people want to have the world see. I he also resonates with some of the older demographic who simply want a change in the message. The PiS message is really just more of the same. It doesn't energize people. 17 days to stop a tidal wave that grows every day is not something that is likely to happen at this point.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

Watching and reading the news, and it really is comical how Duda is being portrayed now with this Karta Rodziny. With all the children standing behind him holding these propaganda cards? What are they thinking? These kids don't even know what is going on, and they think using them will sway voters who have not decided? Again, all this does is harden the core of support and likely makes people who are undecided go the other way.

Maybe there is some truth to JK wanting to have Duda gone. Have someone to blame, look for a fight to win someplace else. It wouldn't be a smart strategy though when PiS would turn into a much less powerful group for five years. Who knows if JK is even around in five years.

This is certainly entertaining now. Watching hardliners squirm at the thought of young people making the rules. It was going to happen eventually. Like it will happen in other countries. The old ways simply aren't what the majority of people want today. People are concerned with progress, measurable impacts on their lives. Not rhetoric and inaction.

USA, Canada / Can Americans Travel To Poland After JUN 16, 2020? [13]

Plenty of other airlines flying into Poland all summer. Prices are great now, but starting in August prices are way up. Visit or not, the borders will be open, just as they have been with flights in and out of Warsaw all the time.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]


Ok. Duda is actually starting to become funny. He just a few months ago said he would consider signing a rights law for some gays, outside of adoption and other items. Today he goes on a homophobia rant on Karta Rodziny. He said not long ago that he deals with people who have a different sexual orientation all the time and it doesnt bother him. Clearly it bothers someone. Maybe JK? Hardening the core of PiS supporters is the absolute dumbest strategy, who ever is running this campaign for Duda is really either a moron or someone secretly working for the opposition! lol

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Spike31
Not opposing or saying that certain groups deserve certain rights is not supporting a group in totality. There are a whole bunch of Gays in Warsaw, like it or not they are there and they are Polish. So if they are going to be there, they should be able to inherit each others things at death and obtain medical information if someone is ill. Just as much as couples who live together, or cant get married in the church should be able to do the same things.

Adoption should be off the table for LGBTQ IMO. So should certain teachings that being LGBTQ is "ok". Because those two things are not socially excepted norms in a civil society. If they want those things people can move to where those things are practiced.

If his political opponents focus on this narrow issue, they will be destroyed in the general election. There is only one opponent that can even dare bring it up and thats Duda. But Duda is so weak on nearly every other issue he cant win a fight. I really cant wait to watch these debates. The challengers are smart, they wont attack each other. They know its more important to beat PiS than it is who actually beats them.

Still, none of these parties have presented a vision for the future. What about that? Forget the free money bribery. How about some real substantive growth plan?

Back from Katowice and Chorzow today. Opinion of people there is that the miners got paid 100% and they couldn't, is being seen as another bribe for votes. But the miners, they are still unhappy about not working, and that they were subjected to this when the government knew months ago that confined spaces place people at greater risk. They think the government used them deliberately putting them at risk. Amazing what you can hear from people in public when they are upset.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@amiga500
I don't recall reading where Trzaskowski has said he will support all EU edicts or programs. I don't think he is that stupid either. The resistance to forced immigration is actually something I like about Poland. Not PiS, but Polish people in general regardless of party dont want this immigration from third world countries.

I also dont think that the LGBT movement would be a big part of Trzaskowski campaign. Again, he is too smart to let a fringe minority group open him up to attacks. He is Polish and knows the majority of people dont want it. In office he would likely make some conditions more friendly but I dont see him ever giving full rights. This is not a campaign of extremist party values.

Just spent the day in Opole yesterday. Duda has nothing happening there. The others have support everywhere. As I suspected, when I asked colleagues about the new 500 pln promise for holidays, they all laughed. One said, "Yes, two nights hotel in Opole is what you get for 500, until you add VAT. Its not worth leaving home for." This morning and afternoon in Chorzow and Katowice and as I have been there before I expect more of the same. People are simply tired of Duda and PiS. They haven't accomplished anything on their own

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@delphiandomine
Lets be honest, does anyone really think a 500 pln "voucher" for holidays will swing the vote? What does 500 get you these days? Not much.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@delphiandomine
Trzaskowski simply has the skill and pedigree that Duda could only hope to have. If that many people are already mobilizing, this is going to be very interesting for the world to watch. Imagine, someone claiming voter fraud now with those postal votes? Instead of the opposition making the claim it could be PiS.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@delphiandomine
This will likely save some lives. A responsible move in that regard. It is probably the end for him in Silesia. They were walking away from him with the acceleration of solar energy production to begin with. This will likely seal the deal for him.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

This is so similar to Trump/Clinton where no one believed Trump could win. But he was very smart in how he ran his campaign. Polls were completely wrong and he won. Everyone this year thought Saunders or Warren would win the Democratic nomination, until at the last minute Biden stepped in and crushed both of them. Trump the incumbent like Duda has a slight advantage. Unlike Duda though, Trump just got a huge bump in employment numbers, where again, people thought there would be a decline and there was actually a huge increase. Duda when the second quarter numbers start to come out will look very bad, and those numbers will start to leak out right before the election. In politics there is no sure thing, and Duda is definitely not a sure thing. Trzaskowski has a lot of momentum right now, and in the second round I dont think Duda can keep up. Duda is fading with the mining community fast, and he has completely lost the small business owners. This will be close, a lot closer than many would have believed two weeks ago.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@delphiandomine
Great info. I was in Nowy Sacz yesterday, lots of advertising for Holownia and Kamysz. Lone Duda advertising outside of town was vandalized in a not so flattering way. I really dont think Malopolskie is the Duda stronghold that some think it is. Lots of angry people here over the economy and the way the pandemic was handled. Lots think that cities should have been locked down based on infection rates, and not the whole country. Not saying its right or wrong.

I take these polls with a grain of salt, I simply dont think they are accurate based on polling being inaccurate just about everywhere these days. That said, Kamysz is an interesting candidate. He may prove to be a big ally of who ever goes against Duda in the second round.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Ironside
You make a great point. We are talking about very rare cases, very controlled potential environment for these aborts to take place. I certainly understand your position, and I respect it. I disagree with it though. No amount of discussion will likely change either of our opinions. This is true throughout society as well. Which in my opinion is why the rules in Poland should not become more restrictive. It is a waste of time debating it politically, when the politicians should actually be doing something for the country.

I cam to Poland for many reasons. Namely though, I saw opportunity in the largest emerging economy in Europe. That economy was built on small business, not state owned or foreign corporations who have operations here. The small business owner has been decimated by this pandemic, and nothing has been done to help them. The street where the language school I attend is located on, now has 9 empty store fronts that before the pandemic had nice thriving small business operators. That is one street. In Katowice, Opole, Chorzow, Nowy Sacz, Nowy Targ, where I have been in the last two weeks, it is the same. This is a failure of colossal proportion on PiS part. It could have easily been avoided, and still nothing is being done.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Ironside

Couldn't the same be said about denying women the opportunity of limited choice? Isn't that "authoritarian"? This isn't about stupid people getting pregnant and regretting it. This is about a criminal act being committed against another person and forcing that person, their entire family, friends, associates and others to be constantly reminded of the violent act. It is about that woman's mental health as much as her physical health.

This election is less about the moral fiber of each party and more about moving the country forward. Forward meaning strengthening schools, hospitals, and the economy after the virus. It is a simple fact that the more advanced economic countries spend more time and money on these things. If Poland is to ever realize its true potential, this has to be the direction taken, or young people will continue to leave.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@mafketis
That rape victims should be forced to have the child of a rapist and torture them for the rest of their lives? Yes. Sound policy there. Until its your daughter.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@Dirk diggler
I would guess that a pretty large segment of Trzaskowski supporters want to keep Poland snow white as can be, and do not want the multiculturalism that Germany and others have screwed themselves into. I would bet several EU members regret their decisions.

Sure they may want the LGBT community to have some rights, but I don't think adoption would be one of them or marriage would be either. Probably civil unions, some medical rights, and rights to inherit would be good enough to make them happy. Who cares about that stuff anyway, its happening in the country, though its not legal.

The paranoia exhibited by people thinking gays are going to run the streets and that its going to turn into the embarrassment of San Francisco is simply crazy.

Women when raped, or have a severely deformed fetus should be able to have the choice to abort. To make them have a child of rape, or one that can never take care of itself is simply the idea of a sick minded individual. Who are we to impose our beliefs on someone else with no consequence to ourselves?

PiS cant decide what it is. They have multi personality disorder. They want to give away money they don't have for wasteful programs to buy votes, like Democrats in the USA. Yet they want immigration controls and stricter rules more aligned with Bible teachings like the Republicans. They have no idea how to manage the economy without EU money flooding in. They have offered nothing to small business owners who employ more people than large business operations. With all due respect to what the Office of the President of Poland should be, Duda is embarrassing for the country. Singing happy birthday to Trump like Marilyn did to Kennedy is still a priceless memory. He exhibits no strength. Not one person I know here in Poland or in the USA thinks he represents anything Presidential.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

And whats in the 4th business relief package for small business.......NOTHING. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Once again PiS completely drops the ball. Gives loan forgiveness for three more months, for people who lost their jobs, not people who have been brought back to work but are still struggling, then gives the money to the banks to subsidize interest payments they are loosing on these loan delayed payments! An extension of more child care money and thats it. Great leadership. Wouldnt even pay attention to the small business owners demonstrating and throw them a little something. This is why PiS can not lead, they simply dont know how.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

If Holownia made a deal with Trzaskowski, it would be the end of Duda. Imagine somehow Holownia becomes President of Warsaw, and all his supporters move for Trzaskowski. This would be what the Dem's should have done with Clinton and Saunders in the last election if they wanted a real chance to win.

As for more, or actually any "stimulus" money to small and medium sized business from PiS I will believe it when it happens. Delays in paying ZUS are simply a downsized version of PiS policy of robbing Peter to pay Paul. As for those loans and subsidy, the money is gone to big business before the small business even gets the paperwork sorted out. That said, I did receive 5000 pln for keeping my company open during the pandemic. It took 32 days to receive it after my attorneys did the paperwork. 32 days? For other company's that is just long enough to be forced to close.

News / Presidential elections 2020 - your opinions about campaign, candidates [2223]

@amiga500
Cut VAT and pay for all these EU program how? Why assistance for cash strapped local authorities? Civil employment should be the first to cut back expenses. Money to small business is whats needed. Electric cars that the vast majority of people dont want and wont buy, brilliant. More infrastructure welfare jobs? Not a path to prosperity.