A new SW Research survey reveals Mateusz Morawiecki as the top choice to replace Jarosław Kaczyński as leader of the Law and Justice party, followed closely by Przemysław Czarnek and Patryk Jaki.
The Poll Results
When asked who should lead Law and Justice if Jarosław Kaczyński retired, 15.2 percent of respondents indicated Mateusz Morawiecki. Przemysław Czarnek and Patryk Jaki tied for second place, each receiving 10 percent of the vote.
Tobiasz Bocheński secured 6 percent support, followed by Mariusz Błaszczak at 5.6 percent and Jacek Sasin at 1.8 percent. Meanwhile, 13.5 percent of participants believed another politician from the party should take over, while 37.9 percent had no opinion. The study was conducted on February 3-4, 2026, by SW Research using online interviews with a representative sample of 833 adult Poles.
Factional Conflict Within Law and Justice
Recent media reports have highlighted internal conflicts within the party, dividing it into factions such as the “Scouts,” loyal to Mateusz Morawiecki, and the “Butterers,” including Tobiasz Bocheński, Anna Zalewska, and Jacek Sasin. Jarosław Kaczyński convened a leadership meeting in early January to address the dispute.
TVN24 reported that full reconciliation between the factions appears unlikely. “Newsweek” sources suggest Kaczyński aims to rebuild party cohesion, with one party member suggesting Morawiecki might need to make a conciliatory gesture.
Falling Support in the Polls
A recent IBRiS poll for “Rzeczpospolita” shows a significant drop in support for Law and Justice, which fell to 23.3 percent—a 3.8 percentage point decrease from November. Party official Joachim Brudziński commented that the leadership is analyzing the trends with a professional team, neither underestimating nor overestimating the results.