English Section

PiS gives conflicting accounts on Nawrocki’s controversial tattoos

26.05.2025 14:14
A senior aide to Karol Nawrocki, the Law and Justice (PiS) nominee for Poland’s 2025 presidential election, has dismissed claims that the politician removed tattoos to soften his public image.
Right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki. In the frame: the Facebook profile of Polish Hooligans, whose tattoos Nawrocki reportedly bears - despite conflicting statements from PiS politicians about their origin and removal.
Right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki. In the frame: the Facebook profile of Polish Hooligans, whose tattoos Nawrocki reportedly bears - despite conflicting statements from PiS politicians about their origin and removal.Photo: PAP/Kasia Zaremba/Facebook.com/Polish Hooligans

As reported last Friday by Radio Poland, Nawrocki was allegedly involved in violent clashes between soccer hooligans - groups of aggressive and often politically motivated football (soccer) fans.

According to Onet.pl, he also has tattoos linked to “Chuligani Wolnego Miasta,” an extremist far-right fan group associated with the Polish club Lechia Gdańsk.

CHWM - Chuligani Wolnego Miasta ( Lechia Gdańsk )

Opublikowany przez Polish Hooligans Piątek, 9 czerwca 2017

Nawrocki reportedly also has a large tattoo of the English football club Chelsea’s crest - a lion holding a scepter - which sometimes shows under his short-sleeved shirts.

Candidate denies removing tattoos, campaign aide says otherwise

Despite Nawrocki’s earlier statements claiming he removed the tattoos, Adam Bielan, a senior PiS politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP), told RMF FM on Monday that the candidate had taken no such steps.

“Karol Nawrocki did not remove any tattoos,” Bielan said, responding to speculation spreading on social media and in national news outlets including TVN24.

Bielan added that Nawrocki, who currently heads the state-run Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) - responsible for documenting Poland’s historical memory - has tattoos of a “religious nature,” not linked to football fandom.

However, Bielan confirmed that Nawrocki had previously participated in a football hooligan clash, describing the incident - illegal under Polish law - as a “one-time occurrence.”

Read more about this topic:

(m p)

Source: TVN24/Onet.pl/RMF FM