Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski discussed his emotions after losing the second round of Poland’s presidential election.
First interview after the defeat
Rafał Trzaskowski spoke in his first interview after losing the presidential election, admitting he felt “completely defeated” on June 1. The conversation was led by Agnieszka Wiśniewska, Wojciech Szacki, and Piotr Witwicki, with questions also taken from young viewers at the Campus Academy in Międzyzdroje. One participant asked Trzaskowski how he felt after the election loss, to which he responded with his candid admission.
When asked if the loss motivates him, Trzaskowski said he doesn’t regret not winning but feels a strong drive to continue. “I’m still too young to retire,” he added, urging his supporters to keep fighting regardless of the outcome.
“We learned nothing at all”
Trzaskowski criticized his supporters for mocking President Andrzej Duda’s habits, such as using snus, speaking English with an accent, and working out in the morning. “Over 51% of Poles don’t have a problem with these things,” he said, urging his supporters to stop criticizing Duda for trivial matters and focus on more important issues.
No major mistakes made
Trzaskowski defended his campaign, stating he gave his all and worked tirelessly for eight months. “If you ask me if I made any major mistakes, I don’t think so,” he said. However, he acknowledged that better long-term planning could have helped, noting that global and European trends do not favor well-prepared, centrist candidates who avoid shortcuts.
Presidential election results
In the first round on May 18, over 19.6 million valid votes were cast. Rafał Trzaskowski received nearly 6.15 million votes (31.36%), while Karol Nawrocki got almost 5.8 million (29.54%). Sławomir Mentzen of the Confederation came in third with 2.9 million votes (14.81%), followed by Grzegorz Braun of the Confederation of the Polish Crown with around 1.24 million (6.34%). Other candidates received less than 5% of the vote.
In the second round, Karol Nawrocki secured approximately 51% of the votes, while Rafał Trzaskowski received around 49%.
