Several prominent former anti-communist activists, including Lech Wałęsa, Władysław Frasyniuk and Adam Michnik, have signed a public letter encouraging Poles to participate in the decisive second round of the election and vote for centrist candidate Rafał Trzaskowski.
The 56 signatories, many of whom played key roles in the 1980s Solidarity movement, argue that the vote is crucial for safeguarding democracy, rule of law and Poland's Western alignment.
Democratic legacy under threat in Poland, former dissidents warn
In the appeal, they warn that the country once again faces a turning point.
"Our homeland is at a crossroads,” they wrote, expressing concern over what they described as a threat to civil liberties and democratic institutions if the vote ends in a victory for Trzaskowski's right-wing rival, Karol Nawrocki.
They called on voters who, in the fall of 2023, helped end what they labeled “dishonest and authoritarian rule” to renew their determination and back Trzaskowski on June 1.
The centrist candidate, they argue, represents a Poland rooted in the European community and committed to justice, integrity and citizen rights.
The letter describes Trzaskowski as a guarantor of democratic values and a figure capable of leading Poland into a “civilized 21st-century development path.”
It also highlights personal integrity and political reason as key traits they believe he embodies.
Among the other signatories are former Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, political dissident Zbigniew Bujak, journalists Helena Łuczywo and Seweryn Blumsztajn, and actor Andrzej Seweryn.
(mp/gs)
Source: PAP/X/@krzysztofkrol
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