The debate followed Monday's head-to-head challenge between the two leading candidates (as indicated by opinion polls), Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz of the liberal Civic Platform party and Beata Szydło of the conservative Law and Justice.
The two were joined on Tuesday on public broadcaster TVP by candidate of the United Left coalition Barbara Nowacka, self-styled libertarian Janusz Korwin-Mikke of the KORWiN party, current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Janusz Piechociński of junior coalition partner the agrarian Polish People's Party, rock star turned politician Paweł Kukiz of the Kukiz Movement, Adrian Zandberg of the left-wing Together party, and Ryszard Petru of the centrist Modern party.
Candidates were given a minute each to answer questions on several matters ranging from the economy to Poland's prospective intake of refugees, with the latter proving to be the most emotive subject.
PM Ewa Kopacz argued that her government had won a victory by negotiating the number of people who would be given asylum, rather than accepting EU quotas outright, stressing that her government would “separate refugees from immigrants.”
However, several participants in the debate took a harder line.
Beata Szydło would not say anything in favour of taking in immigrants, arguing that “the EU solution is wrong” and that “Poles have the right to be afraid, because they still do not know what we are being committed to.” She argued that humanitarian aid should be send out from Poland instead.
Meanwhile, Paweł Kukiz said “it's hard to call these people refugees, they are migrant workers.
“If the government believes that we can afford to accept them, it means that we are carrying out the politics of Germany.”
Janusz Korwin-Mikke stated that those who are coming are “young men” who want to go to Germany “for the benefits.”
Newcomers Adrian Zandberg and Barbara Nowacka took a decidedly different line.
Zandberg stated that “if someone says with pride that they will not help them [the refugees], then I do not know what kind of morality they are guided by.”
He argued that “it is disgusting that certain people want to make political capital out of limiting the number of refugees.”
Nowacka said that “we are Europeans, and we should be in solidarity - we should accept as many people as we can.”
Pledges and insults
Summing up, Prime Minister Kopacz said in a dig at her party's chief rival Law and Justice that “we still have a democratic state and not a religious republic,” claiming that under her government, Poland would soon be as prosperous as the West.
Beata Szydło slammed what she called the ruling party's “empty promises” and said Poles “want change”, as evidenced in her view by the election of Law and Justice's candidate Andrzej Duda in the May presidential election.
Economist Ryszard Petru claimed that “we are the only ones giving the impetus for change,” saying that “we will manage Poland better for the same money.”
Barbara Nowacka said that voting for Civic Platform would be a lost cause, reiterating her opening claim that there is finally a chance to break the deadlock of the two leading parties.
Adrian Zandberg likewise criticised the notion of voting for “the lesser evil.”
Paweł Kukiz described the debate as “a farce” and said of the main parties that “we want you to finally stop stealing from us.”
Korwin-Mikke mocked “the festival of promises” while Janusz Piechociński said the Polish People's Party is “modern” and that it will “open up markets and bring real change.” (nh/rk)