Polish New Left chairman Włodzimierz Czarzasty declared an unopposed bid for party presidency at a Thursday conference in the Sejm, ahead of the party’s Sunday congress.
Czarzasty Declares Unopposed Bid for Party Chair
I decided to run for party chairman — Czarzasty announced at Thursday’s conference in the Sejm. This was no surprise, as news that the current leader plans to seek re‑election had reached us for several weeks.
Delegates Predisposed to Support Him
As sources from New Left politicians indicate, the party’s Sunday congress was arranged in a way that made Czarzasty the favorite. Delegates were selected by provincial party structures, and in a clear majority they are supporters of the Sejm marshal. “They were chosen such that I would receive one hundred percent of the vote,” a woman activist told us a few days ago.
Other Candidates Seek Alignment Amid Discussions
In this context, other candidates who had considered contesting—Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski, MP Tomasz Trela, and Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy Agnieszka Dziemianowicz‑Bąk—had to reconcile with Czarzasty. Discussions on this topic began, among other days, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Polish Sejm President Promises Gender Parity
The current New Left leader, however, extended a hand to the entire trio and offered them a place in the leadership. “We will ask the congress to appoint Mr. Gawkowski as the first deputy chair,” Czarzasty said at the Thursday press conference. He stressed that the current mood was one of stability and cooperation, rather than competition over the party’s top post. The Sejm marshal also promised a gender split in the leadership, half men, half women. When asked who else he would see in the group, he replied that delegates are the main participants at the congress, so they will propose something humbly, and seeing whether it will be accepted is “something to see.”
Former Wiosna Members to Remain in Leadership
After the December 6 lower‑level leadership elections, the party felt a rift. In 2019, the former Social Democratic Labour Party (SLD) merged with Wiosna, a party founded by europarliamentarian Robert Biedroń, and the new formation adopted a co‑presidency model with one president from each faction. That year, however, statutory changes restored a single president for both the party and its regional bodies. An analysis of the 16 regional assemblies showed that all elected SLD politicians had won, causing disappointment among Wiosna members. Czarzasty assured on Thursday that he had no intention to marginalize Wiosna colleagues, adding that Krzysztof Śmiszek, already a board member as head of the EU delegation, and others such as Joanny Scheuring‑Wielgus, Anita Kucharska‑Dziedzic and Katarzyna Kotula would stay. Kotula may also become a vice‑president, having previously served only on the board. If the Sunday congress supports Czarzasty’s recommendation, the party would also promote Agnieszka Dziemianowicz‑Bąk and Tomasz Trela to leadership positions. Other vice‑heads include Dariusz Wieczorek, Marek Dyduch, Andrzej Szejna, Krzysztof Śmiszek and Anita Kucharska‑Dziedzic.
