The presidential debate on TV Republic drew the attention of voters and political observers. The candidates for President 2025 faced in a warm atmosphere, presenting their visions and sparing themselves with harsh words. What will we remember about tonight?
Untypical Formula of Presidential TV Debate Republic
The debate on TV Republic, co-organised with TV Trwam and in Poland24, was held on 9 May and was already the third such installment in this campaign. It was attended by 10 candidates, although they lacked, among others, Rafał Trzaskowski and Magdalena Biejat, which was assessed as a mistake of their staff.
Questions from Experts
A new round of questions from experts – including Rafał Brzoska (President of InPost), Prof. Ryszard Piotrowski (Constitutionalist) and Łukasz Jankowski (Chief of the Medical Chamber). Brzoska asked about retirement age and incentives to work for seniors, Jankowski asked about ideas for improving health security, and Piotrowski asked about assessing the rule of law in Poland. The candidates had only one minute to respond, which made them not always able to develop their thoughts.
The Most Important clashes and Emotions
The evening didn't go without tensions. Szymon Holovnia strongly attacked Sławomir Mentzen, presenting a recording on which – according to him – Mentzen admitted to "making rollers." The Holovnia accused him of tax evasion, to which Mentzen replied that he paid higher taxes than the Holovnia. This clash warmed the atmosphere and showed how much candidates were prepared to fight for voters' votes.
Summary of Candidates
The final part of the debate allowed candidates to speak freely. Marek Woch encouraged "to chase the company away from the Sejm", Joanna Senyszyn stressed that it was no longer necessary to vote for "smaller evil" and others presented their visions of change in Poland.
Who gained and who lost?
In the opinion of commentators, the debate did not bring spectacular returns. TV Republika gained recognition, but the formula itself – although innovative – did not bring much new to the campaign. The lack of some candidates (Trzaskowski, Biejat) was widely commented and considered an error that could affect their listings.
Candidates for President 2025 – Who was the Speaker?
Here is a list of the main participants in the debate:
- Simon Holovnia (Third Road)
- Sławomir Mentzen (Confederation)
- Karol Nawrocki (supported by PiS)
- Joanna Senyszyn (Left)
- Marek Woch (Unparty Local Government)
- Adrian Zandberg (Together)
- Grzegorz Braun
- Artur Bartoszewicz
- Marek Jakubiak
- Krzysztof Stanowski
Absent: Rafał Trzaskowski, Magdalena Biejat, Maciej Maciak.
Highlights Moments of Debate
- An unusual formula with questions from experts
- Sharp exchanges, especially the Holovnia vs. Mentzen
- No major candidates – theme for commentators
- Free summaries of candidates who allowed to show their personality
The presidential debate of TV Republika 2025 showed that the emotions in this campaign go back to the ground, and the fight for the presidency takes place not only in the debate room, but also in social media and in the streets of Polish cities.
Presidential elections as early as 18 May – debate on TV Republic is an important stop on the road to the Presidential Palace. Who convinced the voters? We will know the answer soon.
Where to watch the video from the presidential debate on Television Republic?
Below we insert the entire recording of the debate directly from the YouTube TV Republika channel
