{"id":2170023,"date":"2026-09-28T10:25:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T07:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2170023"},"modified":"2026-09-28T10:25:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T07:25:43","slug":"sunday-elections-in-krakow-yield-two-rival-candidates-for-mayor-does-it-reflect-nationwide-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2170023","title":{"rendered":"Sunday elections in Krakow yield two rival candidates for mayor. Does it reflect nationwide trends?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/02\/65\/1200x675_cmsv2_760f1f1f-95a9-5313-8d05-8e1f52479ca7-9930265.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2929633-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2929633\" data-cid=\"9932573\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929633-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/25\/73\/189x106_cmsv2_7d924f8a-2568-5291-a83a-d74a2d962df6-9932573.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Sergii Marchenko, Ukraine&apos;s finance minister.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Ukraine pushes for Russian assets to plug $78 billion gap in 2027\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929650-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2929650\" data-cid=\"9932700\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929650-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/27\/00\/189x106_cmsv2_3ae83fc7-7cda-5050-9bb8-6d8785becd7a-9932700.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, December 2025.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    No energy shortage, but a painful winter looms for Europe\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929199-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2929199\" data-cid=\"9930311\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929199-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/00\/11\/189x106_cmsv2_97805c68-d400-59d6-94ca-1d1e51bb8b0c-9930011.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"erbian President Aleksandar Vucic waves a Serbian flag during a rally of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Belgrade, Serbia\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Pressure grows within EPP to expel Vu\u010di\u0107\u2019s SNS party\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929572-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1\" data-nid=\"2929572\" data-cid=\"9932303\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929572-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/23\/03\/189x106_cmsv2_7c6dcc35-61c2-59c7-bff8-ada97047662e-9932303.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Bal\u00e1zs Hank\u00f3, former minister for culture walks toward the prosecutor&apos;s office in Budapest, accompagnied by his wife and opposition deputies 28,09,2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Magyar&#8217;s &#8216;Operation Purge&#8217; takes shape with high level detentions\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929633-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2\" data-nid=\"2929633\" data-cid=\"9932573\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929633-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/25\/73\/189x106_cmsv2_7d924f8a-2568-5291-a83a-d74a2d962df6-9932573.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Sergii Marchenko, Ukraine&apos;s finance minister.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Ukraine pushes for Russian assets to plug $78 billion gap in 2027\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929650-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2\" data-nid=\"2929650\" data-cid=\"9932700\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929650-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/27\/00\/189x106_cmsv2_3ae83fc7-7cda-5050-9bb8-6d8785becd7a-9932700.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, December 2025.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    No energy shortage, but a painful winter looms for Europe\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929199-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2\" data-nid=\"2929199\" data-cid=\"9930311\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929199-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/00\/11\/189x106_cmsv2_97805c68-d400-59d6-94ca-1d1e51bb8b0c-9930011.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"erbian President Aleksandar Vucic waves a Serbian flag during a rally of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Belgrade, Serbia\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Pressure grows within EPP to expel Vu\u010di\u0107\u2019s SNS party\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929572-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2\" data-nid=\"2929572\" data-cid=\"9932303\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929572-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/23\/03\/189x106_cmsv2_7c6dcc35-61c2-59c7-bff8-ada97047662e-9932303.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Bal\u00e1zs Hank\u00f3, former minister for culture walks toward the prosecutor&apos;s office in Budapest, accompagnied by his wife and opposition deputies 28,09,2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Magyar&#8217;s &#8216;Operation Purge&#8217; takes shape with high level detentions\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Sunday elections in Krakow yield two rival candidates for mayor. Does it reflect nationwide trends?<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/02\/65\/1536x864_cmsv2_760f1f1f-95a9-5313-8d05-8e1f52479ca7-9930265.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"City of Krakow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              City of Krakow<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">\u0179r\u00f3d\u0142o: pexels.com\/ Oleksandr Petroniuk<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0\u0179r\u00f3d\u0142o: pexels.com\/ Oleksandr Petroniuk\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspKatarzyna Kubacka&amp;nbsp&amp;&amp;nbspWeronika Wakulska\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1790591143\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-09-28 12:25:43 +02:00\">28\/09\/2026 &#8211; 12:25 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span 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loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        In May, a grassroots initiative in Krakow led to a referendum that ousted the then mayor, Aleksander Miszalski which set a nationwide precedent. On Sunday, Krakow voted again and it is now clear who will face off in the second round.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Aleksander Miszalski, who was recalled in May, had governed Krak\u00f3w for more than two years. Although he pushed through several reforms that were widely seen in a positive light, including a substantial pay rise for professional foster families and faster procedures for building the metro, residents quickly began to notice his favourable treatment of developers and the resulting chaos in city management. <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The final straw, however, was the creation of a Clean Transport Zone in the city, which in its original form was set to hit owners of older car models hard in the pocket.<\/p>\n<p>Several months after the referendum Krak\u00f3w went to the polls again.<\/p>\n<p>The first round of the presidential election in Krak\u00f3w sends a fairly clear signal that part of the electorate is turning away from the two main blocs, although it doesn&#8217;t automatically mean that this is a permanent breakdown of the main political parties (liberal KO [Civic Coalition] and conservative PiS [Law and Justice]).<\/p>\n<h2>First round of the Krak\u00f3w election<\/h2>\n<p>The vote in Krak\u00f3w did not produce an easy outcome. After a tight race two candidates emerged who will face each other in the second round. The mayor&#8217;s office will be contested by Monika Pi\u0105tkowska, a Civic Coalition (KO) senator, and independent \u0141ukasz Giba\u0142a, leader of the Krak\u00f3w for Residents association and a local councillor, formerly affiliated with Civic Platform (PO).<\/p>\n<p>Giba\u0142a won 36.38% of the vote. Pi\u0105tkowska took 29.91%, even though earlier forecasts had not predicted such strong support for her.<\/p>\n<p>In third place was Micha\u0142 Drewnicki of conservative Law and Justice (PiS) with 17.50% of the vote, and in fourth Aleksandra Owca of Together (Razem), who won 6.91%.<\/p>\n<p>Giba\u0142a, a vocal critic of Krak\u00f3w&#8217;s Clean Transport Zone, said in his speech that the second, decisive stage of the &#8220;fight for Krak\u00f3w for its residents&#8221; would come in two weeks&#8217; time. <\/p>\n<p>He also promised to do everything he could &#8220;to restore hope and normality, clean up the mess, put an end to party politicking so that there are no &#8216;equal and more equal&#8217;, and to push as far away from Krak\u00f3w as possible the polarisation that is destroying society and families&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Monika Pi\u0105tkowska also commented on the results, pledging to fight for &#8220;a good, calm, transparent and honest Krak\u00f3w.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Far-right Confederation without its own candidate<\/h2>\n<p>Although the far-right Confederation officially and on a large scale joined the campaign to collect signatures in support of the referendum, its candidate Bartosz Boche\u0144czak ultimately did not make it onto the ballot. <\/p>\n<p>The City Electoral Commission refused to register his candidacy because, as Boche\u0144czak later admitted himself, he had gathered too few signatures.<\/p>\n<p>Exit poll data show that \u0141ukasz Giba\u0142a secured the backing of most Confederation voters. <\/p>\n<p>He was chosen by 61.9% of those who had previously declared support for Confederation in the parliamentary elections.<\/p>\n<h2>Trends in the Polish parliamentary elections in 2027<\/h2>\n<p>Giba\u0142a\u2019s result points to several trends that may be significant for Polish national politics. One of them is the ability of a candidate from outside the major parties to attract voters from diverse backgrounds. <\/p>\n<p>According to OGB exit poll data, a significant portion of far right Konfederacja voters supported Giba\u0142a, suggesting that his campaign was able to transcend traditional party lines. <\/p>\n<p>Krak\u00f3w can therefore be seen as an example of the growing importance of candidates who build their own support bases and focus primarily on municipal issues, rather than identifying unambiguously with national parties.<\/p>\n<h2>Poor result for the conservative PiS candidate<\/h2>\n<p>After the election politicians also weighed in. Roman Giertych of Civic Coalition led by PM Donald Tusk wrote on X that &#8220;the result of the PiS candidate with Confederation absent is humiliating in Krak\u00f3w.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Piotr Gli\u0144ski of conservative PiS, for his part, claimed that Krak\u00f3w had seen &#8220;a defeat for Tusk&#8217;s coalition&#8221; and that the prime minister&#8217;s visit to the city was &#8220;the kiss of death.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Konrad Berkowicz of Confederation was among those who spoke out, writing that &#8220;everything must be done to finish off Civic Platform in Krak\u00f3w.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Poland and Lithuania preparing cross-border evacuation plan for Baltic states<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Fire at Starlink station in central Poland was &#8216;sabotage,&#8217; digital affairs minister says<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  17-year-old detained in Poland over alleged plans for terrorist attack<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Elections<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Polish politics<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Referendum<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Poland<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tp-vuukle\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__header\"><span class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__title\">Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage 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class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/78\/67\/320x180_cmsv2_ccb967d5-1b3f-52f9-85d8-3da977c73618-9927867.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaking at the Euronews Travel &amp; Tourism Summit\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Euronews Travel &amp; Tourism Summit 2026 \u2013 watch again<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2929466-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2929466\" data-cid=\"9932458\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929466-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" 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src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/15\/83\/320x180_cmsv2_8cb1c640-8ca3-5d0f-a0f0-e592b36fe2d7-9931583.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Eduardo Santander said as an \u2018attraction park\u2019 for tourism, the continent needs to be \u2018well organised\u2019 and \u2018managed\u2019\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    ETC chief: &#8216;Climate change is the biggest threat to tourism right now&#8217;<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-2\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" 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the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928621\" data-cid=\"9927867\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928621-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/78\/67\/320x180_cmsv2_ccb967d5-1b3f-52f9-85d8-3da977c73618-9927867.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaking at the Euronews Travel &amp; Tourism Summit\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Euronews Travel &amp; Tourism Summit 2026 \u2013 watch again<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929466-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2929466\" data-cid=\"9932458\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929466-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/16\/00\/320x180_cmsv2_8ecd8131-7e2a-510b-9dff-78c146e0e790-9931600.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Image of a banner at the camp in Puerta Sol, Madrid, on 28 September 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Spanish government unveils new measures aimed at easing housing crisis<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929199-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2929199\" data-cid=\"9930311\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929199-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/00\/11\/320x180_cmsv2_97805c68-d400-59d6-94ca-1d1e51bb8b0c-9930011.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"erbian President Aleksandar Vucic waves a Serbian flag during a rally of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Belgrade, Serbia\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Pressure grows within EPP to expel Vu\u010di\u0107\u2019s SNS party<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929461-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2929461\" data-cid=\"9931583\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2929461-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/15\/83\/320x180_cmsv2_8cb1c640-8ca3-5d0f-a0f0-e592b36fe2d7-9931583.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Eduardo Santander said as an \u2018attraction park\u2019 for tourism, the continent needs to be \u2018well organised\u2019 and \u2018managed\u2019\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    ETC chief: &#8216;Climate change is the biggest threat to tourism right now&#8217;<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929375-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2929375\" data-cid=\"9931791\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Iranian jet with passengers on board seized at Istanbul over \u20ac3m debt<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929428-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2929428\" data-cid=\"9931654\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Putin expands army for fourth time this year as war losses mount<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929267-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2929267\" data-cid=\"9930708\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Two European countries among the most at risk from storms<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2929318-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2929318\" data-cid=\"9930915\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    EPP backs suspension of asylum rights in response to \u2018hybrid attacks\u2019<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928351-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2928351\" data-cid=\"9926418\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Five million robots now work in factories as humanoid hype is tested<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Aleksander Miszalski, who was recalled in May, had governed Krak\u00f3w for more than two years. Although he pushed through several reforms that were widely seen in a positive light, including a substantial pay rise for professional foster families and faster procedures for building the metro, residents quickly began to notice his favourable treatment of developers and the resulting chaos in city management.The final straw, however, was the creation of a Clean Transport Zone in the city, which in its original form was set to hit owners of older car models hard in the pocket.Several months after the referendum Krak\u00f3w went to the polls again.The first round of the presidential election in Krak\u00f3w sends a fairly clear signal that part of the electorate is turning away from the two main blocs, although it doesn&#8217;t automatically mean that this is a permanent breakdown of the main political parties (liberal KO [Civic Coalition] and conservative PiS [Law and Justice]).First round of the Krak\u00f3w electionThe vote in Krak\u00f3w did not produce an easy outcome. After a tight race two candidates emerged who will face each other in the second round. The mayor&#8217;s office will be contested by Monika Pi\u0105tkowska, a Civic Coalition (KO) senator, and independent \u0141ukasz Giba\u0142a, leader of the Krak\u00f3w for Residents association and a local councillor, formerly affiliated with Civic Platform (PO).Giba\u0142a won 36.38% of the vote. Pi\u0105tkowska took 29.91%, even though earlier forecasts had not predicted such strong support for her.In third place was Micha\u0142 Drewnicki of conservative Law and Justice (PiS) with 17.50% of the vote, and in fourth Aleksandra Owca of Together (Razem), who won 6.91%.Giba\u0142a, a vocal critic of Krak\u00f3w&#8217;s Clean Transport Zone, said in his speech that the second, decisive stage of the &#8220;fight for Krak\u00f3w for its residents&#8221; would come in two weeks&#8217; time.He also promised to do everything he could &#8220;to restore hope and normality, clean up the mess, put an end to party politicking so that there are no &#8216;equal and more equal&#8217;, and to push as far away from Krak\u00f3w as possible the polarisation that is destroying society and families&#8221;.Monika Pi\u0105tkowska also commented on the results, pledging to fight for &#8220;a good, calm, transparent and honest Krak\u00f3w.&#8221;Far-right Confederation without its own candidateAlthough the far-right Confederation officially and on a large scale joined the campaign to collect signatures in support of the referendum, its candidate Bartosz Boche\u0144czak ultimately did not make it onto the ballot.The City Electoral Commission refused to register his candidacy because, as Boche\u0144czak later admitted himself, he had gathered too few signatures.Exit poll data show that \u0141ukasz Giba\u0142a secured the backing of most Confederation voters.He was chosen by 61.9% of those who had previously declared support for Confederation in the parliamentary elections.Trends in the Polish parliamentary elections in 2027Giba\u0142a\u2019s result points to several trends that may be significant for Polish national politics. One of them is the ability of a candidate from outside the major parties to attract voters from diverse backgrounds.According to OGB exit poll data, a significant portion of far right Konfederacja voters supported Giba\u0142a, suggesting that his campaign was able to transcend traditional party lines.Krak\u00f3w can therefore be seen as an example of the growing importance of candidates who build their own support bases and focus primarily on municipal issues, rather than identifying unambiguously with national parties.Poor result for the conservative PiS candidateAfter the election politicians also weighed in. Roman Giertych of Civic Coalition led by PM Donald Tusk wrote on X that &#8220;the result of the PiS candidate with Confederation absent is humiliating in Krak\u00f3w.&#8221;Piotr Gli\u0144ski of conservative PiS, for his part, claimed that Krak\u00f3w had seen &#8220;a defeat for Tusk&#8217;s coalition&#8221; and that the prime minister&#8217;s visit to the city was &#8220;the kiss of death.&#8221;Konrad Berkowicz of Confederation was among those who spoke out, writing that &#8220;everything must be done to finish off Civic Platform in Krak\u00f3w.&#8221;<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/09\/28\/sunday-elections-in-krakow-yield-two-rival-candidates-for-mayor-does-it-reflect-nationwide&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/93\/02\/65\/1200x675_cmsv2_760f1f1f-95a9-5313-8d05-8e1f52479ca7-9930265.jpg&#8221;] Europe News Ukraine pushes for Russian assets to plug $78 billion gap in 2027 Europe News No energy shortage, but a painful winter looms for Europe Europe News Pressure grows within EPP to expel Vu\u010di\u0107\u2019s SNS party Europe News Magyar&#8217;s &#8216;Operation Purge&#8217; takes shape with high level detentions Europe News Ukraine pushes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2170023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2170023"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170023\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2170023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2170023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2170023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}