Independent beats PM Tusk’s candidate in Kraków mayoral election
Łukasz Gibała won at the fourth attempt, having previously stood in every mayoral election since 2014.
In Poland's independent news outlet, Notes from Poland, a story was breaking today regarding the unexpected victory of Łukasz Gibała, an independent candidate, in Kraków's mayoral election. The election took place after the previous mayor, Aleksander Miszalski, was removed from office in a recall referendum due to accusations of cronyism and poor financial management.
The final vote count, based on 64% of districts reporting, had Gibała leading with 63.1% of the vote, while the Prime Minister Donald Tusk's candidate, Monika Piątkowska, received 36.9%. Two major exit polls supported Gibała's win, with results of 64% and 61% respectively. Piątkowska conceded defeat, congratulating her opponent and thanking the people of Kraków for their trust.
Gibała, who ran for mayor in every contest since 2014, expressed his victory as the fourth attempt, emphasizing the importance of local knowledge over the decisions made in Warsaw. He vowed to address the city's finances, end cronyism in municipal appointments, improve public transport, and hold a referendum on the clean transport zone for vehicles.
Piątkowska, the joint candidate of Tusk's centrist Civic Coalition (KO) party and the centre-right Polish People's Party (PSL), had received the backing of Tusk himself. Her campaign promises included seeking an AI "gigafactory" in Kraków, boosting housing for young people, and offering a package of policies for women. The previous mayor, Miszalski, also backed Piątkowska in her campaign.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
