The presidential debate on TV Republika drew the attention of voters and political observers. Candidates for the 2025 presidency clashed in a heated atmosphere, presenting their visions and not holding back sharp words. What will we remember from that evening?
An Unusual Format for the TV Republika Presidential Debate
The debate on TV Republika, co-organized with TV Trwam and wPolsce24, took place on May 9 and was already the third such edition in this campaign. Ten candidates took part, although among those absent were Rafał Trzaskowski and Magdalena Biejat, which their campaign teams were criticized for.
Questions from Experts
A novelty was a round of questions from experts, including Rafał Brzoska (CEO of InPost), Prof. Ryszard Piotrowski (constitutional law expert) and Łukasz Jankowski (the Supreme Medical Chamber). Brzoska asked about the retirement age and incentives for seniors to keep working, Jankowski about ideas for improving health security, and Piotrowski about the assessment of the rule of law in Poland. Candidates had only one minute to answer, which meant they could not always develop their thoughts.
The Key Clashes and Emotions
The evening was not without tensions. Szymon Hołownia sharply attacked Sławomir Mentzen, presenting a recording in which, according to him, Mentzen admitted to “making wałki” (a colloquial term for rolling cigarettes or tax-avoiding schemes). Hołownia accused him of avoiding taxes, to which Mentzen replied that he pays higher taxes than Hołownia. The clash heated the atmosphere and showed how ready the candidates are to fight for voters’ support.
Candidates' Closing Remarks
The final part of the debate allowed candidates to speak freely. Marek Woch urged voters to “chase the crowd out of the Sejm” (the lower house of parliament), Joanna Senyszyn stressed that there is no longer a need to vote for the “lesser evil”, and others presented their visions of change for Poland.
Who Gained and Who Lost?
In the opinion of commentators, the debate did not bring any spectacular turnarounds. TV Republika gained in recognition, but the format itself, though innovative, did not add much new to the campaign. The absence of some candidates (Trzaskowski, Biejat) was widely commented on and seen as a mistake that may affect their poll ratings.
Candidates for President 2025 – Who Took Part?
Here is a list of the main participants in the debate:
- Szymon Hołownia (Third Way)
- Sławomir Mentzen (Confederation)
- Karol Nawrocki (backed by PiS)
- Joanna Senyszyn (Left)
- Marek Woch (Non-Partisan Local Government Activists)
- Adrian Zandberg (Together)
- Grzegorz Braun
- Artur Bartoszewicz
- Marek Jakubiak
- Krzysztof Stanowski
Absent: Rafał Trzaskowski, Magdalena Biejat, Maciej Maciak.
The Most Interesting Moments of the Debate
- An unusual format with questions from experts
- Sharp exchanges, especially Hołownia vs. Mentzen
- The absence of main candidates – a topic for commentators
- Free-flowing candidate summaries that let them show their personalities
The TV Republika presidential debate of 2025 showed that emotions in this campaign have reached their peak, and the fight for the presidency is being waged not only in the debate hall but also on social media and on the streets of Polish cities.
Presidential elections are on May 18 – the TV Republika debate is an important stop on the road to the Presidential Palace. Who convinced the voters? We will find out soon.
Where to watch the recording of the presidential debate on Telewizja Republika?
Below we embed the full recording of the debate directly from the TV Republika YouTube channel
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