Czarnek Nominated by PiS for Prime Minister: Flirting with the Right, But Not with Braun

Kaczyński Bets on Czarnek

Jarosław Kaczyński announced Przemysław Czarnek's candidacy for Prime Minister in the 2027 parliamentary elections on March 7, 2026, during a party convention in Krakow's "Sokół" hall. The location is no accident – it was there that the PiS leader previously announced Andrzej Duda's candidacy for president in 2014 and supported Karol Nawrocki in 2024.

Czarnek, a professor of constitutional law at the Catholic University of Lublin, former Minister of Education and Science, and former Governor of Lublin, accepted the nomination with humility. "I am the driver of this train, and Kaczyński is the conductor," he said during the ceremony.

Party on the Defensive: Polls at Historic Lows

The decision to announce a candidate so early – more than a year before the planned elections – is no coincidence. PiS is polling at just 24% support, its lowest result since 2012. The party is also struggling with internal divisions between supporters of former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the camp of traditionalists, to which Czarnek himself belongs.

Political scientist Rafał Chwedoruk from the University of Warsaw sees the nomination as a defensive strategy. "PiS has decided that it is not yet ready to repeat the Duda-Szydło maneuver. This is a clearly defensive strategy," the expert explains. In his opinion, a shift towards the center would only open up additional space for the Confederation and Grzegorz Braun's group.

Courting the Confederation – With Limitations

Czarnek makes no secret of the fact that his main goal is to win back voters who have drifted from PiS to the right. The Confederation Liberty and Independence is polling at 13%, and Grzegorz Braun's Confederation of the Polish Crown at 8%. The new PiS candidate for Prime Minister directly addressed Sławomir Mentzen: "You and I have the same opinion – Poland needs a responsible right-wing government." However, Mentzen remained reserved, and the other Confederation leader, Krzysztof Bosak, emphasized that his voters "do not want a return to the pathologies of PiS rule."

On the issue of Grzegorz Braun, Czarnek is categorical. "There is no possibility – I am two hundred percent sure of that," he declared, when asked about a possible ministry for MP Braun. He cited Braun's support for the Iranian regime as the reason, adding: "I cannot imagine people in the government who are defending a dictator today." The US Ambassador to Poland has also publicly made it clear that Washington opposes any potential alliance between PiS and Braun.

Controversial Ministerial Record

As Minister of Education, Czarnek aroused strong emotions. He twice pushed through the so-called Lex Czarnek – a law expanding the powers of education superintendents – but both versions were vetoed by President Andrzej Duda. He proposed removing "left-wing and liberal content" from school curricula and opposed anti-discrimination education. His critical statements about LGBT+ communities sparked nationwide teacher protests.

Polarization Instead of Coalition

Analysts agree: Czarnek's nomination strengthens the polarization of the political scene ahead of 2027. PiS is giving up the fight for centrist voters in favor of mobilizing its core electorate. Whether such a strategy will be enough to build a coalition majority remains an open question – especially since the ruling parties will have a year to consolidate their own message.