He Was Miszalski’s Fiercest Rival: Łukasz Gibała Will Run for Krakow Mayor Again

Following the recall of Aleksander Miszalski in a May referendum, early mayoral elections in Krakow are scheduled for September 27, with runner-up Łukasz Gibała entering the race for the fourth time.

Early Mayoral Elections Scheduled

Early elections in Krakow will take place on September 27. In the May referendum, residents of Krakow voted to remove Aleksander Miszalski from the Civic Coalition from the office of mayor. Miszalski had governed the city for just two years.

Gibała Confirms Fourth Mayoral Bid

On Wednesday, Renata Ropska from the press office of Councilor Łukasz Gibała confirmed that the local politician will run in the elections again. The representative of the activist announced that the process of registering the electoral committee—KWW Łukasz Gibała – Krakow for Residents—has begun. The official start of the campaign will be announced at a press conference on Friday afternoon.

Early Mayoral Elections in Krakow: Łukasz Gibała to Run

Łukasz Gibała will run for the office of mayor of Krakow for the fourth time. In 2024, he lost to Aleksander Miszalski in the second round by just over 5,000 votes, which currently makes him considered the favorite in the early elections. In 2014 and 2018, he took third place, failing to advance to the second round.

Background and Political Career

Gibała is the founder of the Krakow for Residents association and the municipal councilors’ club of the same name. Formerly associated with Palikot’s Movement and the Civic Platform, he is a former two-term member of parliament. He studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian University, earned a doctorate in humanities, and worked as a researcher for several years. He is an entrepreneur.

Declared Candidates

So far, declarations to run for the office of mayor of Krakow have been made by, among others, former Supreme Audit Office President Marian Banaś, Bartosz Bocheńczak (Confederation), Michał Dwernicki (Law and Justice), Daria Gosek-Popiołek (The Left), Aleksandra Owca (Razem Party), and Monika Piątkowska (Civic Coalition, Polish People’s Party).

Referendum Results and Voter Turnout

Turnout in the May referendum reached nearly 30 percent, with over 171.5 thousand voters—representing 97.93 percent of all votes—voting in favor of removing Mayor Aleksander Miszalski.

Key Issues Driving Voter Turnout

According to an OGB poll for Polsat News, among the topics that most strongly convinced Krakow residents to participate in the referendum were the introduction of the Clean Transport Zone at 28.3 percent, the city’s debt level at 22 percent, the management of municipal companies and nepotism at 14.3 percent, and rising living costs in the city at 10.5 percent.

Miszalski’s Response to the Referendum Outcome

Commenting on the voting results in May, Aleksander Miszalski stated that the past few months had been a very important lesson for him. He noted that serving as the mayor of Krakow was a huge honor and responsibility, acknowledging that not everything was done as he had intended and that some decisions and the emotions surrounding them caused many residents to lose trust in him, though he never stopped thinking about Krakow with care and responsibility.