Latest news with #Mentzen
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polish presidential candidate refuses to support initiative to block Ukraine's accession to NATO
Rafał Trzaskowski, the ruling party's presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, has refused to sign a declaration containing a pledge to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. Source: Polish Radio Zet, as reported by European Pravda Details: The declaration was initiated by far-right and anti-Ukrainian politician Sławomir Mentzen. Both Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki, who is supported by the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), accepted Mentzen's invitation to a conversation, during which he asked about their stance on the eight key points of his political programme. Trzaskowski and Nawrocki will face off in the second round of the presidential election on 1 June. One of the points in Mentzen's declaration includes a pledge that if the candidate becomes president, he will not sign the law ratifying Ukraine's accession to NATO. Commenting on this fifth point of the declaration, Trzaskowski stated that he could not agree with Mentzen. Quote from Trzaskowski: "If there are no security guarantees, Putin will rearm and move further. Poland must strive for Ukraine to be accepted into NATO." Details: Mentzen immediately responded to Trzaskowski's statement. Quote from Mentzen: "If Putin can attack Poland despite it being a NATO member, then he can also attack Ukraine in NATO." Details: Trzaskowski replied that he strongly disagreed. Quote from Trzaskowski: "I know Putin very well and follow him closely. He understands only the language of force." Details: Mentzen then claimed that "everyone knows Ukraine has unresolved borders". Quote from Mentzen: "Moreover, even under Biden's presidency, the US did not agree to Ukraine's accession to NATO. Why should Poland push for something impossible?" Quote from Trzaskowski: "I did not say it would be an easy process. Poland must strive for Ukraine to be accepted into NATO. Only then will we be safe." Details: He noted that Ukraine could potentially join NATO in 10 to 15 years. Meanwhile, Trzaskowski expressed opposition to sending Polish troops to Ukraine. Background: On 22 May, Karol Nawrocki, the opposition-backed presidential candidate in Poland, officially accepted the demands of Sławomir Mentzen, leader of the anti-Ukrainian Confederation party, including the pledge to block Ukraine's NATO accession, in exchange for support in the second round. During the televised Polish presidential debate on the evening of 23 May, Ukraine and Poland's attitude towards it became one of the most contentious issues discussed. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Euronews
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Why did nationalist parties do so well in Poland's presidential vote?
Candidates from right-wing and nationalist parties did particularly well on Sunday in the first round of Poland's presidential election, echoing a trend seen across Europe in recent months, with nationalist politicians enjoying a wave of success. In February, Europe was shocked when the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the second-largest force in the Bundestag. On the same day as the Polish vote, the far-right Chega party performed well in Portugal, while nationalist candidate Geroge Simion narrowly lost out on the Romanian presidency. In Poland, the nationalist candidates Slawomir Mentzen and Grzegorz Braun received a combined total of almost 21% of the vote. Overall, more than 50% of Polish voters cast their ballot for right-wing candidates. Mentzen was the presidential candidate for Konfederacja or Confederation, a nationalist party which describes itself as liberal-conservative, while Braun represented Konfederacja Korony Polskiej (Confederation of the Polish Crown), a party which has voiced antisemitic views. Their voters are now being fought over by the candidates who went through to the second round of the presidential election — Rafał Trzaskowski from the liberal Civic Platform and Karol Nawrocki, supported by the right-wing Law and Justice or PiS party. "Mentzen's voters are not a homogeneous group," Dr Olgierd Annusewicz, a political scientist from the University of Warsaw, told Euronews. In total, Mentzen received 14.8% of all ballots on Sunday. "There are certainly a great many people out there who strongly believe in certain isolationist thoughts, are averse to the European Union, or think in very traditional terms in general, on social issues for example, where Slawomir Mentzen has expressed himself," the political scientist explained. Annusewicz explained that he also gained support from free-market voters. "They believe that only the free market is able to give them some level of happiness or trust in the state," he said. Dr Annusewicz also noted that Mentzen got the support of young people. "Not necessarily because of the views he preaches, but because, firstly, he is anti-system, and young people very often do not like the system, they do not like the state and its institutions. But also simply because he seemed cool to them," Dr Annusewicz said. "Let's remember that Mentzen was the youngest of all the candidates running. He was able, in his own way, to find contact with this young generation." Braun, of the Konfederacja Korony Polskiej, gained 6.34% of the vote — and won fourth place in the presidential race, even though he was only seventh in the polls. "This is, of course, a little surprising, because it would seem that a candidate with very extreme views, who is very expressive in this way, but also highly controversial on the political scene, will not be attractive to too many voters," Dr Annusewicz told Euronews. Annusewicz mentioned that some of Braun's supporters would have grown disillusioned with the classical political parties and turned away from the right-wing Law and Justice party. Professor Rafał Chwedoruk from the University of Warsaw said Braun was supported by many middle-aged men in some of the country's most conservative areas. His voters were worried about Poland being dragged into Russia's war in Ukraine and about migration, Chwedoruk noted. Both Mentzen and Braun want to make the most of their raised profile and have issued demands to the presidential candidates who made it through to the second round. Mentzen listed eight conditions that a candidate must fulfil to gain his support. They include not raising existing taxes, not allowing Polish soldiers to be sent to Ukraine, and not signing a law to ratify Ukraine's accession to NATO. Mentzen offered Trzaskowski and Nawrocki a conversation on his YouTube channel. "Mentzen is growing (in stature), putting himself in the spotlight and showing that he is the boss today. This is, from the point of view of Slawomir Mentzen's political interest, an excellent move," Dr Annusewicz said. Meanwhile, Braun, who is an MEP, demanded that the future president "reject the so-called European Union migration pact and ... stop immigration — both legal and illegal". Representatives of the PiS party and the Civic Platform have said their party was the ideal partner for Mentzen and his voters. "I have always said: there are no enemies on the right. I am in favour of a coalition with the Confederation," PiS MP Janusz Kowalski said. "I have no doubt whatsoever that if Slawomir Mentzen's voters, and I understand that he has defined what is important to them, listen to what Rafal Trzaskowski says, it will suddenly become apparent that many of these issues are close to Rafal Trzaskowski," argued Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, a Civic Platform lawmaker.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polish presidential candidate ready to oppose Ukraine's NATO accession to secure more votes
Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, who has advanced to the second round of the election, is ready to promise a refusal to support Ukraine's accession to NATO in exchange for the political backing of Sławomir Mentzen, a leader of the far-right Confederation party. Source: Nawrocki on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Nawrocki responded to a post by Mentzen, in which the latter invited both first-round winners to a discussion, during which Mentzen intends to ask them to "sign a declaration that meets the expectations of his voters". Among the points outlined in the document Mentzen has proposed to the candidates are a refusal to send Polish troops to Ukraine and a commitment not to sign a law ratifying Ukraine's future accession to NATO. "I accept the invitation and am ready to sign those proposals," Nawrocki replied to Mentzen. "We will discuss the rest on your YouTube channel. See you there." Background: Several months ago, the candidate from the ruling party, Rafał Trzaskowski, expressed his support for Ukraine's membership in NATO and the EU, but recently stated that Ukraine should serve as a "buffer zone". Following the first round of the election on 18 May, Warsaw mayor Trzaskowski advanced to the second round with 31.36% of the vote, as did Nawrocki, Head of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, supported by the opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), with 29.54% of the vote. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Polish far-right leader sets terms for runoff endorsement
Photo: Youtube/SławomirMentzen Polish far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen set terms on Tuesday for a potential endorsement in the country's upcoming presidential runoff, whose nationalist and pro-EU candidates need to woo third-party voters to win. The multi-millionaire entrepreneur and co-leader of the far-right Confederation party scored nearly 15 percent in round one of the ballot on Sunday, a strong third place that puts him in a position to play kingmaker in the June 1 runoff. Pro-EU Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski won Sunday's election by a razor-thin margin, getting 31 percent against 30 percent for nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki. "I invite both candidates... for a chat on my YouTube channel. During each conversation I will ask them to sign a statement in line with the expectations of my voters," Mentzen said on X. "There's no better way to win over my voters than to appear on my social media channels... If you care about their votes, then come persuade them," he added. Mentzen linked to a video in which he ticked off the eight items contained in the declaration he has asked the candidates to sign. They notably include pledges to not sign any legislation that would raise taxes, ratify Ukraine's potential NATO membership or limit free speech. "Who knows, maybe I'll even decide to endorse one of you," Mentzen said, addressing the candidates. Nawrocki promptly wrote on X: "I accept the invitation and am ready to sign the statement's items." Trzaskowski did not immediately comment. An overall victory for Trzaskowski as head of state would be a boost for the centrist government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The former European Union leader's government has been at loggerheads with the current nationalist president, Andrzej Duda. A win for Nawrocki, a fan of US President Donald Trump, would probably extend the political deadlock in the Central European country of 38 million people. The two candidates have diverging views on abortion and LGBTQ rights. The election also comes at a fraught moment for Europe, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine drags on and ties with Washington are under strain.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Poland's far-right lays down demands to presidential hopefuls
WARSAW (Reuters) -The candidates still in the running to become Poland's president were given lists of demands from two far-right politicians supported by more than a fifth of voters on Tuesday, as they compete to broaden their appeal. Centrist front-runner Rafal Trzaskowski and his nationalist opponent Karol Nawrocki would need to gain a chunk of the votes that went to far-right candidates to have a chance of victory in a June 1 run-off. But the behaviour of these mainly young and anti-establishment voters is hard to predict. In particular Trzaskowski, from the ruling Civic Coalition (KO), could face a tricky balancing act as he tries to reach out to people who backed far-right Confederation party leader Slawomir Mentzen without alienating left-wing or centrist voters. In a recorded message, Mentzen, who finished third in the first round with 14.8%, said on Tuesday that he would invite Trzaskowski and Nawrocki to take part in a debate on his YouTube channel. "During the conversation, I will ask you to sign a declaration in line with the expectations of my voters," he said. The declaration included promises not to raise taxes, not to limit freedom of speech, not to send Polish troops to Ukraine, not to transfer powers to the European Union, and not to limit Poles' ability to carry weapons. Asked about Mentzen's invitation to a debate, Nawrocki, who is backed by opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), told a news conference that it was "a serious offer from a candidate who wants to talk about the future of Poland before giving his support", adding he should talk to Mentzen about an endorsement. Trzaskowski told reporters he had not yet made a decision on taking part in the debate. Meanwhile Grzegorz Braun, who in 2023 used a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukkah candles in the country's parliament, an incident that caused international outrage, published a list of questions for Trzaskowski and Nawrocki. These included whether they would stop the "Ukrainisation" of Poland - a reference to the hundreds of thousands of refugees from the neighbouring country - reject the EU's migration pact and Green Deal climate-change policies, oppose abortion and cease Hanukkah celebrations in the Presidential Palace. Braun finished fourth in the first round with 6.3%.
