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New scandal surrounding PiS presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki's hiring practices

03.03.2025 16:45
Polish daily "Gazeta Wyborcza" reports on another controversy involving PiS presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, who is accused of hiring old friends to key positions.
Jarosław Kaczyński (center), leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, attends a weekend campaign event for presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki (to his right), who is seen whispering something to him, alongside Marta Kaczyńska (to his left), daughter of late President Lech Kaczyński, and Marta Nawrocka, the candidates wife.
Jarosław Kaczyński (center), leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, attends a weekend campaign event for presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki (to his right), who is seen whispering something to him, alongside Marta Kaczyńska (to his left), daughter of late President Lech Kaczyński, and Marta Nawrocka, the candidate’s wife.Photo: PAP/Tomasz Gzell (March 2, 2025)

According to Gazeta Wyborcza, this has raised concerns about favoritism, as Nawrocki’s associates are granted high-ranking roles and public funds, potentially undermining transparency and accountability in the management of state resources.

"They traded sports jerseys for suits and took seats in directors' offices," Gazeta Wyborcza reported on Monday, noting that Nawrocki's close friend, boxer Marcin Marczak, was first hired as a specialist at the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) and later promoted to deputy director of the Wrocław branch, despite the fact that this position is usually held by historians.

As the director of the Museum of the Second World War, Nawrocki allocated public funds for events organized by Marczak's boxing club - between 2018 and 2021, the museum spent nearly 150,000 PLN (36,010.50 EUR or 37,785.42 USD) on these events.

Another example is Mateusz Kotecki, a high school friend and PiS activist, who now serves as the IPN's head of human resources while actively participating in Nawrocki's campaign.

Meanwhile, Łukasz Witek, a former soccer teammate of Nawrocki, took charge of the IPN’s Przystanki Historia Bureau, whose flagship project was criticized by the Supreme Audit Office for financial mismanagement.

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Source: Gazeta Wyborcza/IAR/PAP/X/@Bart_Wielinski