Wojciech jaruzelski youtube

WARSAW - Journalist Krzysztof Stanowski, who has become popular in Poland in recent years for his investigations and interviews, announced his candidacy for the presidential election on 18 May.

Stanowski made the announcement in a satirical presidential address, paraphrasing former Polish communist leader General Wojciech Jaruzelski's December 1981 announcement of martial law in Poland.

"I address you as a presidential candidate. I am addressing you on matters of the utmost importance. Our homeland is on the brink of a precipice," he said, quoting the communist general's iconic statement verbatim and replacing certain phrases with Jaruzelski's actual voice.

As politically diverse as the announced presidential candidates are, Stanowski is the only one who has openly declared that he does not want to win the election. In his speech, he said he is not capable of being president as he does not have adequate experience, class, or dignity.

"Besides, I cannot afford to be president. The president earns too little," he added.

He then explained that he was running for president to participate in a presidential debate and to broadcast his campaign advertisement on the public media, which he said had been taken over by the incumbent government.

He admitted that what he was about to do might look like a mockery of the state. "The real mockery is that you are about to elect, let's not kid ourselves, a puppet president," he said.

He pointed out that the two favourites for the presidency, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski (PO, EPP) and the head of the National Institute of Remembrance (IPN), Karol Nawrocki, are not even the number one people in their respective parties, suggesting that they are completely subordinate to Prime Minister Donald Tusk and PiS (ECR) leader Jarosław Kaczyński, the two most heavyweight actors in Polish politics.

‘A serious proposal’

Long known as a football journalist, Stanowski has become extremely popular in Poland in recent years for his investigations, which have uncovered compromising facts about celebrities, and his candid interviews with controversial figures.

Last year, he launched his new YouTube channel, Kanał Zero, with a few relatively unknown journalists. In just a few months, it has become a major media outlet in Poland.

Stanowski's presidential candidacy "is just trolling," Sławomir Mentzen, a candidate for the far-right Civic Platform (PfE/ESN), told private broadcaster Polsat News.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl)