In times of social media, politicians often care about their image, but sometimes the boundary between reality and fiction blurs in a funny but controversial way. The latest example comes from Krakow, where the Councillor of the Civic Coalition, Magdalena Mazurkiewicz, became a hero of the online discussion after her Instagram profile featured a photo on which she "sticked" alongside the President of Krakow Alexander Miszaliski and President of Warsaw Rafał Trzaski. The incident quickly ran around the network, triggering a wave of comments and jokes, while at the same time sheds light on the pressure that local politicians feel in fighting for attention and position.
What happened in Szczepanski Square?
The whole story began with the traditional "Singing Lesson" – a popular cultural event in Krakow, held on Sunday afternoon on 21 December 2025 in Szczepański Square. Special guest was Rafał Trzaskowski, President of Warsaw, whom Aleksander Miszalski, President of Krakow welcomed on stage. Politicians of the Civic Coalition, including Chairman of the City Council Jakub Kosek and organizer of the Waldemar Domanski event, posed for common photos with participants dressed in traditional folk costumes. The background was the picturesque Main Market Square, and the atmosphere was Christmas – Christmas carols, crowds of residents and Christmas climate.
One of the photos, published on Instagram by Jakub Kosk (jakub_kosek_rmk), showed a group of politicians and artists. However, Magdalena Mazurkiewicz was not on it. Meanwhile, an almost identical photograph appeared on the council profile (magdalenamaz), with one key difference: the face of Mazurkiewicz was pasted in place of a young man in a traditional outfit. The difference was clear enough that Internet users quickly noticed it, and screenshots ran around platforms like X (old Twitter).
Network reaction wave: From laughter to criticism
The incident suddenly became a viral. The first alarm was raised by Mateusz Jasko, the creator of the "What's Wrong with Krakow" page on Facebook, who on X wrote: "BEARING KOK WALLED TO PHOTO WITH A FALL XD". He emphasized that Mazurkiewicz removed "some guy" from the photo to take a seat next to Trzaskowski, and added ironically: "God, why these people always have such a push for XD celebrities". The post won more than 2,200 likes and hundreds of comments, including from well-known characters like Krzysztof Stanowski, who commented: "WHAT IT WAS WELCOMED HERE".
The reactions were mixed – from humorous memes (e.g. comparisons to "Grażinocracy fighting with photoshape") to harsh criticism. Many netizens pointed to the councillor's desperation, combining this with her earlier history: after the municipal election in 2024, Mazurkiewicz received a position at the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre. According to the opposition councillors, it was a "save home budget" because work on the City Council allegedly obstructed her normal professional activity. Jasko also reminded that the councilwoman has pictures of Miszalski in her portfolio, which also emphasizes her "support for celebrities".
There were also voices of the defence, though in minority. Some suggested it was a joke or technical error, not intentional manipulation. Shortly after the outbreak of the scandal, the photos disappeared from Instagram Mazurkiewicz, which only served the discussion.
Councilwoman's statement: "Manipulation without my knowledge"
Magdalena Mazurkiewicz quickly reacted to the wave of comments. In a statement published on Facebook, she wrote: "My image, my photograph, was manipulated yesterday without my knowledge or authorization. I do not approve of such actions and manipulation of the image, and it will not be my consent. People who felt manipulated, especially you in the photo that switched with mine, sorry." In an interview with LoveKraków.pl, she explained that she worked with three people responsible for multimedia and that one of them edited without her permission.. She stressed that she was not present at the event, which confirms the original photo.
The councillor, elected from the list of Civic Coalition in District No. 7 (received 2085 votes), is the chair of the Committee on Culture and Monument Protection in the City Council of Krakow. Earlier in September 2024, in an interview with the Magic portal Kraków spoke about her role in culture: "It is an honor, challenge and responsibility." But now she has to face an image crisis that can affect her reputation.
Hard to get a job in Krakow? Political Reality Under Wawel
The title irony – "It is so hard to get a job in Krakow that the councilwoman decided to stick to it" – well reflects the broader context. The labour market in the capital of Małopolska is competitive, and local politicians often struggle for visibility to hold position. Mazurkiewicz, as a councilwoman and employee of the theatre, symbolizes the phenomenon of the "railway" (as Jasko described it), where public posts are used for financial stability. The scandal also shows how social media can quickly turn a small incident into a nationwide sensation.
