The electoral competition in the Senate promises to be interesting. The Senate Pact is taking shape. In total, the opposition parties have almost a hundred candidates. There are surprises with familiar faces.
This is one of the biggest surprises of the Senate Pact. Former Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak will run for the Senate. He will want to take away the mandate of the senator from Płock from PiS. “It’s definitely not going to be an easy campaign,” he says.
Opposition parties are finalizing the Senate Pact. The list of almost one hundred names is to be revealed any day now. – Poles will get a very nice team – promises Michał Kamiński, Deputy Speaker of the Senate.
Most of the opposition senators will be candidates. It’s a bonus for both a successful campaign four years ago and loyalty in the current Senate. – The most important thing is that both the Sejm and the Senate should be in the hands of the current opposition – emphasizes Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, an independent senator.
In elections to the Senate, Poland is divided into 100 constituencies. Only one candidate wins from each. That is why the opposition decided not to compete with each other and put a common candidate against PiS in almost every constituency. – Those who have a better chance will be exhibited – says Senator Marcin Bosacki from PO.
That’s what the opposition did four years ago, thanks to which it won the Senate. – During this term of office, the Senate proved that we can cooperate – emphasizes Wojciech Konieczny, senator of the Polish Socialist Party. – What unites the opposition is expressed in the elections to the Senate and is also a promise of joint governance – adds Michał Kamiński.
Election calendar before elections to the Sejm and the SenateTVN24
Famous names
So there are a few surprises in store. Apart from the aforementioned Waldemar Pawlak, General Mirosław Różański and former Commissioner for Human Rights Adam Bodnar are also to run. – Everything indicates that, but I would wait for this announcement by the party leaders – says Bodnar about his candidacy.
The start of the current MP from the Left is also a surprise. Magdalena Biejat will be the candidate of the opposition from Warsaw. – The Senate is a place that should be refreshed – believes Magdalena Biejat from Razem. Not only Biejat wants to be replaced by the Sejm, but also Rafał Grupiński from the Civic Platform will run from Poznań, and Małgorzata Szmajdzińska from Legnica. Maciej Kopiec, also from the Left, will start from Katowice. – The most important thing is the effect. As a result, we agreed that we would start on joint lists, that we would not make it difficult for ourselves – emphasizes Maciej Kopiec.
The lists of the opposition will include members of the local government – Wadim Tyszkiewicz, the current senator from Nowa Sól and the mayor of Tychy Andrzej Dziuba.
There will also be such situations: the former PiS senator will run from Ciechanów and the Senate Pact will not put up a counter-candidate. – I have been a senator in this constituency for 12 years, I know this constituency very well – says Jan Maria Jackowski, an independent senator. This is also to be the case in Podkarpacie, where Ryszard Petru is to start.
The previous senator from Warsaw, Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski, was moved to Lower Silesia. Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka will start from Chorzów. Now a PiS senator has a seat there.
The last two districts remain to be determined. The opposition hopes to win over 60 seats in the new Senate.
Main photo source: tvn24