Former footballer and former KO MEP Tomasz Frankowski announced that he would run for the mayor of Grabówka – a commune near Białystok established at the beginning of the year. The initiators of its creation have been waiting for this for over 20 years. Now they are surprised by Frankowski's candidacy. They have their own candidate for mayor – Katarzyna Todorczuk, who calls Frankowski's start “strange”. The elections are scheduled for March 16.
The Grabówka commune has been operating since January 1, 2025. It was created after many years of efforts by some residents. The new commune includes: Zaścianki, Sobolewo, Grabówka, Henrykowo and Sowlany.
It was originally supposed to be established at the beginning of 2016, but the then PiS government of Prime Minister Beata Szydło overturned the decision of its predecessors. The regulation of the PiS government, issued a few days before the end of 2015, repealing the decision to establish this commune, was appealed to the Constitutional Tribunal by a group MPs from the Civic Platform.
PO for the creation of a new commune, PiS against
In 2017, the Constitutional Tribunal pointed out that no consultations were held in the procedure for preparing this regulation and found it inconsistent with the Constitution and the Act on municipal self-government. However, the Grabówka commune was not established at that time.
The coalition government formed after the last elections returned to the decision to create this commune. The Supraśl commune authorities and some of its residents protested against these plans. They supported them PiS MPswho submitted an application to the Constitutional Tribunal to declare the establishment of the commune invalid.
The date of the first elections in Grabówka – for a 15-person council and a mayor – was set by the Prime Minister on March 16. Currently, the commune is managed by attorney Ewa Bończak-Kucharczyk.
He has been a resident of this part of the former Supraśl commune for almost ten years
On Monday (January 13), Tomasz Frankowski – an MEP from the previous term (he also ran in the elections for the current term, but did not win a seat), and before his political career, an outstanding footballer, a multiple representative of Poland – officially announced his participation in the elections for mayor. He received support from the Civic Platform, including: boss Ministry of Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak and the head of the Podlasie party structures, Krzysztof Truskolaski.
During the press conference, he referred to the new commune as “our” because he has been a resident of the part of the Supraśl commune that became the Grabówka commune for almost 10 years.
– The fight, which lasted twenty years, is thanks to all the inhabitants of our commune, whom I would like to thank very much – he said.
He emphasized that “after the fight there comes a time of peace, a time of work, and this is what we will demand from the newly elected authorities.”
Tomasz Frankowski: it's not the pitch you play on that counts
He said that his work in the European Parliament showed “how you can cooperate with European institutions, and a large financial injection will be needed in the coming years.”
– The pitch you play on doesn't matter, what matters is the willingness to work and help – he said, referring to the sports comparison that he wants to aspire to play in the fourth league from the Champions League.
Support of the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the head of the Podlasie PO, the voivode and the marshal
Frankowski announced during a briefing in front of the Grabówka commune office that he would run from his own committee. Such a committee will have to register candidates for councilors in at least eight districts in the commune.
He was supported by the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Tomasz Siemoniak, PO MP Krzysztof Truskolaski, the Voivode of Podlaskie Jacek Brzozowski and the Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship Łukasz Prokorym. Siemoniak spoke about his satisfaction with the fact that the commune was established. He thanked everyone whose “determination allowed the Council of Ministers to make such decisions.”
Speaking about Frankowski, he pointed to experience and “a wonderful sports and political biography.”
– It is very important who will be the first mayor, so that the potential that is here (…) is well directed – added Siemoniak.
Truskolaski announced Frankowski's support from the Civic Coalition and PO in the election campaign.
The initiators have their own candidate – Katarzyna Todorczuk
The initiators of establishing the commune do not hide their surprise at Frankowski's decision. They have their own candidate in these elections – Katarzyna Todorczuk. They have already registered the electoral committee of voters “Our commune Grabówka”.
Todorczuk previously competed in, among others, in the elections for the mayor of Supraśl, also from the “Our commune Grabówka” committee. In the years 2014-18, they were a Białystok councilor from the Truskolaski Committee (this is the committee of Tadeusz Truskolaski, the mayor of Białystok, in private the father of MP Krzysztof Truskolaski – editor's note).
– I am a representative of the initiative group, I feel responsible for what happened here. I am a candidate, she told journalists.
Katarzyna Todorczuk: Frankowski comes ready and announces himself
She described PO's decision to support Frankowski as “strange”.
– Because although PO created a commune for us and they have always supported us in our activities (…), now it is an incomprehensible decision to me that they are putting forward their own political candidate – added Todorczuk.
– But I'm not afraid. We are the residents, the residents stand behind us and we have been fighting for so many years. The person who is running from the Civic Platform has never been involved in the creation of the commune, has never stood with us at the roundabout, has never protested, has not participated in our “divisive” activities, so it is even more strange that now someone comes ready and announces himself – she said.
Main photo source: Tomasz Frankowski/ FB, KWW Nasza Gmina Grabówka