“I find it hard to even imagine a model of this woman who would be this candidate” – with these words the president of Law and Justice dispelled hopes for the presidency of any woman in his party. Meanwhile, until recently, Beata Szydło seemed to be the model candidate. The party nomination simply deserved her. So what went wrong?
Mateusz Morawiecki, according to Beata Szydło, would be a good Law and Justice candidate for president. – He has the advantage of being recognizable. He himself declared that he would like to run, and he is one of those politicians in Law and Justice who has already built a position – assessed Beata Szydło, MEP of Law and Justice.
However, the president of Law and Justice has a different opinion on the matter of Mateusz Morawiecki's assets. – When it comes to the matter of the prime minister's suggestions, this is her individual opinion – commented the president of Law and Justice Jarosław Kaczyński.
Jarosław Kaczyński has not wanted to decide anything so far. He admitted that although the former prime minister is one of the few candidates who are subject to popularity, trust and support surveys among voters of various other parties, Morawiecki's victory in the second round would be a miracle.
– He does not inspire much trust in the far right part of the electorate, which we also have to reckon with. We take all of this into account – says Jarosław Kaczyński.
Szydło: a woman cannot be a candidate because she is not a young, handsome man
Former Prime Minister Beata Szydło, not so long ago, after the local government, European and parliamentary elections, stood right next to Jarosław Kaczyński, and was even one of the few to speak out after the elections to the European Parliament.
However, less than three months later, Beata Szydło not only has no place in Jarosław Kaczyński's inner circle, who are responsible for selecting the Law and Justice candidate for president, but she is also one of those people who criticizes the criteria for his selection indicated by the PiS chairman,
“Perhaps the moment has come for Beata Szydło to assert her independence”
– It's obvious with a man – he has to be young, tall, impressive, handsome. Voters set these image requirements high. He has to have a family. He has to know English very well. It would be best if he knew two languages. (…) He has to be internationally savvy – Jarosław Kaczyński summed up in an interview for “Radio Maryja”.
– A woman cannot be a candidate because she is not a young, tall, handsome man – Beata Szydło commented on the statement of the PiS chairman. He added that she does not agree with this vision of Jarosław Kaczyński.
Beata Szydło – unlike most Law and Justice politicians – loudly says that the candidate's experience, political position and voters' trust in him are much more important than whether he is tall and handsome or whether he knows foreign languages.
There will be changes in the PiS authorities
– The candidate should be a person who can connect and who really has experience and, I will say loftily, about whom Poles will be able to say: this is a statesman – said Beata Szydło, MEP of Law and Justice.
The relationship between the former prime minister and the head of Law and Justice has clearly deteriorated due to the crisis in the Małopolska PiS, where Szydło was blamed by some of the party for the failure to elect a new voivodeship marshal.
– I do not see any reasons why Prime Minister Beata Szydło should not find a place in the highest authorities of Law and Justice – commented Law and Justice MP Janusz Cieszyński.
In the coming weeks, changes are to take place in the PiS authorities. A so-called supreme council composed of young politicians is to be established. There is also to be a merger with Sovereign Poland, although the final decision on this matter has not yet been made.
Main image source: Piotr Polak/PAP/EPA