PiS has a strategy for local referendums; Kaczyński's party wants to stay in the shadows

Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS) is reportedly devising a new strategy centered on local referendums, aiming to leverage public sentiment while strategically positioning itself in the background. Sources indicate that PiS politicians have received instructions to generally refrain from initiating new signature collection drives for referendums. Instead, the party is to support existing grassroots citizen initiatives.

This tactic is designed to showcase PiS's responsiveness to citizens' voices without the party directly leading the charge. An example is the situation in Radom, where a local referendum initiative seeking to recall the Civic Platform (KO) mayor and alter the city council composition received support from PiS politicians late last week. This mirrors a similar approach observed in Krakow, where PiS remained in the background of the referendum campaign despite active involvement from its members and councilors.

The party's leadership appears to believe this indirect approach is a calculated move. By not initiating referendums themselves, PiS aims to prevent them from being easily labeled as purely right-wing endeavors by local opponents during campaign periods. This could potentially mitigate negative impacts on voter turnout and the overall results for the party.

Furthermore, the strategy acknowledges the complex political landscape, particularly the competition within the right-wing spectrum. In Krakow, the referendum to recall the mayor was linked to a referendum to dissolve the City Council. PiS reportedly harbored quiet hopes that the council referendum would fail, as a successful election for the council could provide a boost to PiS's rivals on the right, such as Konfederacja, potentially years before the next general elections. The party is now assessing similar opportunities in other cities like Rzeszów and possibly Częstochowa.