Two candidates officially entered the race for the presidency. On Thursday, Adrian Zandberg and Szymon Holownia submitted to the State Election Commission the signatures required to registry the candidacy.
Although both met the formal request of 100,000 signatures, their political messages and visions of Poland disagree radically – both in the content and kind of the campaign.
Zandberg: “We are not doomed to choose between Mentzen clones”
Adrian Zandberg, organization leader Together, submitted 180 1000 signatures – much more than the minimum required, and yet little than competitors from larger groups. In front of the PKW headquarters, he announced the programme offensive and clearly indicated who he was going to fight with – not only for the office, but mainly for the subject of the campaign.
– Over the next fewer weeks, we will convince people in cities and towns that a different, pro-social policy is possible," Zandberg said.
He hit political rivals hard, calling Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki "Mentzen clones". In his opinion, citizens are present being forced into an artificial choice between different versions of the same policy – neoliberal, antisocial and beneficial to narrow elites.
– We can have a social and freedom policy in Poland – a policy in the interest of millions of average workers, not dictated by billionaires, banks, developers and lobbyists – he added.
Zandberg focuses on topics he claims are ignored by the mainstream: housing crisis, deteriorating public wellness protection and progressive privatisation of public services.
– This government runs a quiet privatization. He wants to lead us to a place where millions of people simply lose access to public health. These elections are besides about this – he warned.
Hołównia: “Time to change, not replace”
Szymon Hołownia, Marshal of the Sejm and leader of Poland 2050, submitted as many as 400,000 signatures. His campaign, scheduled for over a 100 meetings only until Easter, is to have an intense, nationwide character. Holownia's message is more centred, focused on convincing average voters and consolidating electorate tired of organization conflict.
– We're starting the best phase of the campaign. We have 2 months of hard work ahead of us, rallies, meetings and talks across Poland – he announced.
The holovnia speaks about the necessity of a “new Poland” and clearly cuts off from the Confederation, but besides from the current power.
– Objective: to convince Poles that change is possible. Change, not replace them. The change, not the chaos that the Confederate leads to," he said during a press conference.
In his opinion, the president should think strategically while the government is in charge of day-to-day management.
– That's why the president is here to present a strategy in this area. There must be individual who thinks strategically about how the full mechanics of functioning of the state must change to change for the better lives of people," he said.
Two different ideas for presidency
The Holovnia and Zandberg are entering the run with various behinds, electorates and ideas for the function of president. The Hołównia stresses the stability, work and average modernisation of the state. Zandberg focuses on a sharp settlement of the elite, a strong turn towards the welfare state and the mobilisation of an electorate disappointed by a "liberal consensus".
But 1 of them unites them – they both want to show that 1 can go beyond the existing division into “those and those”. Whether millions of voters will convince this – it will be revealed in 2 months.
