Former Nowoczesna leader Ryszard Petru narrowly missed advancing to the second round in Poland 2050’s leadership election, receiving 95 votes in the first round.
Internal Election Results
Ryszard Petru, founder and former leader of Nowoczesna, sought to take leadership of Poland 2050, a party he joined shortly before the 2023 parliamentary elections. He won 95 votes in the first round of Saturday’s leadership election, which did not allow him to participate in the second round that was ultimately canceled. Petru supported the candidacy of Minister of Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska.
Criticism of Party Leadership
During the internal campaign, Petru repeatedly criticized Poland 2050’s existing operating model and leadership, particularly Szymon Hołownia and Minister of Funds and Social Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. In a recent interview with “Gazeta Wyborcza,” Petru accused the party leadership of neglecting party structures, lacking effectiveness in coalition negotiations, and deviating from the party’s original program.
“Some of my competitors in Poland 2050 have deviated from the original program, proposing various tax increases or introducing new ones,” said Petru, clearly alluding to Pełczyńska-Nałęcz’s actions.
Hołownia’s Response
The way the campaign was conducted and the criticism formulated in the media irritates Hołownia and his entourage, who suspect Petru of being the source of media leaks. “We all very well know who stands behind various publications and bringing internal party correspondence to the press,” claims a person close to Hołownia’s circle.
Hołownia himself did not hide his irritation in a conversation with journalists on Tuesday. “I have very ambivalent feelings about some actions taken by Ryszard Petru, also about his campaign. I hope that after the elections we conduct, there will be time to talk about whether he really feels fully at home in our group,” said Hołownia.
Petru’s Stance
Ryszard Petru, however, ensures that he is not going anywhere – he wants to continue to act in Poland 2050 because, as he says, “I’m fighting for a good cause.” “I ran in the democratically, collected almost one hundred votes, which however support my point of view on the group and this shows that this voice should also be taken into account in Poland 2050, not only the voice of Szymon Hołownia,” emphasizes the politician.
Future of Leadership Elections
The defeat in Saturday’s first round of elections does not mean the end of Ryszard Petru’s internal party campaign. On Friday, the National Council of Poland 2050 will decide what to do with the party leader election – whether only the second round will be repeated or whether the entire electoral procedure will be repeated. If the second option wins, everything, including the submission of candidates, will start from scratch. Ryszard Petru also intends to run in that case.