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PiS presidential candidate vouched for a Polish skinhead linked to neo-Nazis

20.05.2025 11:15
Karol Nawrocki, a candidate for Poland’s presidency from the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, denies close ties with a known neo-Nazi, but in 2017 he reportedly vouched for the man after Danish police arrested him.
Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki has denied having ties to Grzegorz Horodko, aka Śledziu, a Gdańsk-based skinhead with a history of violent crimes and connections to an international neo-Nazi group called Blood  Honour.
Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki has denied having ties to Grzegorz Horodko, aka “Śledziu,” a Gdańsk-based skinhead with a history of violent crimes and connections to an international neo-Nazi group called Blood & Honour.Photo: PAP/Tytus Żmijewski/X/@Tomasz5ek

In 2017, before a soccer match between Denmark and Poland in Copenhagen, Danish police clashed with Polish fans who were denied entry to the game.

Among those arrested was Grzegorz Horodko, nicknamed “Śledziu,” a Gdańsk-based skinhead with a history of violent crimes and connections to an international neo-Nazi group called Blood & Honour.

Danish media released footage showing Horodko attacking police officers first. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and banned from entering Denmark for six years.

According to Poland’s newspaper RzeczpospolitaKarol Nawrocki - then director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk and now a presidential candidate - personally vouched for Horodko.

Nawrocki’s spokesperson confirmed this, though he denies close personal ties with Horodko.

Other Polish officials also intervened on Horodko’s behalf at the time, including a former member of parliament and the foreign minister.

Still, Nawrocki’s involvement raises questions about his connections to extremist groups and controversial football fan circles in Gdańsk.

Tomasz Piątek, one of Poland's most prominent investigative journalists, has revealed that Grzegorz Horodko - a known neo-Nazi and alleged associate of presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki - maintains a profile on a Russian social media platform where he has shared, among other content, a photo featuring a swastika.

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Source: IAR/PAP/Rzeczpospolita/X/@Tomasz5ek