Warsaw Referendum Bid: Details Emerge on Effort to Oust Mayor Trzaskowski

An initiative named "Stołeczna Operacja Referendalna" (SOR), or Warsaw Referendum Operation, has been launched with the goal of recalling Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski. The movement, spearheaded by Maciej Wilk, president of the "Tak Dla CPK" association, gained momentum following a scandal surrounding the Southern Hospital.

Wilk expressed his determination to collect signatures despite the summer holiday period, believing that current public emotions present a crucial window of opportunity. He plans to leverage August events, including national holidays, football matches, concerts, and festivals, to reach residents and encourage them to sign the petition. The campaign aims to begin in late July, allowing for August and most of September to gather the necessary support, with a potential referendum date set for December.

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They sometimes ask me if I've gone crazy, wanting to collect signatures during the holidays. I believe now is the time to harness emotions, because such a window of opportunity won't be open forever.

A successful referendum requires gathering approximately half a million votes. Warsaw's last referendum, held in autumn 2013, failed to recall then-Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz. That attempt fell short by about 45,000 votes, with 25.66% of residents participating compared to the required 29.1%. The campaign was significantly influenced by political parties, with the Law and Justice (PiS) party and the Ruch Palikota movement assisting in signature collection.

The strategy for PiS regarding the current recall attempt involves making individual decisions for each city's referendum actions, ultimately decided by party leadership. PiS tends to join existing referendums rather than initiating them, as seen in Krakow and Radom. The threshold for a successful recall of Trzaskowski is high, requiring the participation of 467,000 residents, a figure influenced by his strong performance in the first round of his election.

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July in Warsaw is indeed a dead month, but August looks completely different. There are celebrations on August 1 and 15, Legia matches, concerts, and festivals. That's plenty of opportunities to reach residents and encourage them to sign the petition. That's why I want to start before the end of July.