President Duda accused of milking coronavirus crisis

Polish President Andrzej Duda should stop promoting himself on coronavirus, appealed presidential hopeful Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the leader of the opposition Polish People’s Party (PSL) – an agrarian Christian-democratic political party.

Duda is seeking re-election in May. He is an ally of the current governing right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party.

“Let’s not pretend now that everything that is proposed results from the initiative of the president, because such impression can be left after the last days that if it had not been for the president’s opinion, the government would not have presented any law,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Critics have argued that if elections go ahead in May, as the government intends, they would certainly not be fair and possibly not free. For the good of public health and the health of democracy, they should be postponed, as has happened in other countries including France and Serbia.

Meanwhile, a United Survey Company poll results published on March 23 for DGP, a Polish daily, and RMF FM, a private broadcaster, show that currently, Duda could count on 42.7 percent support, while his closest rival Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska on 16.6 percent. According to 71.7 percent of respondents, presidential elections scheduled for May 10 should be postponed. The survey also shows that Kosiniak-Kamysz could count on 8.7 percent support.

(PolsatNews, PAP1, PAP2)