On Sunday, 1 June, shortly after the announcement of the first results of the second round of the Polish presidential election, Krytyka Polityczna organised an event at the Prześniona café in Warsaw as part of the Sphera project.
The gathering combined cultural and social elements: a DJ set, a pub quiz with prizes, screenings of socially engaged reportages, and above all, a debate moderated by Kaja Puto. The discussion focused on the uniqueness of the recent presidential elections, the strategies of the campaigns, the significance of possible outcomes for the ruling coalition, and the broader political landscape in Poland, including the role of far-right populists and the prospects of breaking the duopoly.
Accessibility was an important feature of the event: interpretation into Polish Sign Language, a live broadcast on Facebook, induction loop facilities, and wheelchair-accessible amenities were provided.
Guest biographies:
- Sławomir Sierakowski – co-founder of Krytyka Polityczna and president of the Stanisław Brzozowski Association. Sociologist, publicist. Together with Prof. Przemysław Sadura, he had written the book Społeczeństwo populistów (The Society of Populists) and numerous reports on socio-political moods in Poland. Member of the board of Impact CEE.
- Jakub Majmurek – film expert, political scientist, political commentator. Co-editor of the books Lost Opportunities? The Balance Sheet of the 1989–2009 Transformation and Cinema Art. The Cinematic Turn in Polish Contemporary Art. He had translated works by Gayatri Spivak, Paul Mason and Jan-Werner Müller from English.
- Olena Babakova – journalist, Doctor of Humanities in History at the University of Białystok. She collaborated with Polish and Ukrainian media, writing about Polish-Ukrainian relations and Ukrainian migration to Poland and the EU. She was a member of the Polish FemGlobal Association, which brought together women involved in international politics.
- Kaja Puto – journalist, editor, commentator on international affairs. She specialised in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Germany.
More info here.
