Polish Presidential Frontrunner Trzaskowski Denies Ties to Controversial Facebook Ads

Polish presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski is under scrutiny just days before Sunday’s election after Facebook ads attacking his rivals surfaced, sparking accusations of campaign misconduct and foreign influence. Trzaskowski, the Warsaw mayor and frontrunner from the liberal Civic Coalition (KO), denies any connection to the ads, which targeted nationalist and far-right candidates, including Karol Nawrocki of the Law and Justice party and Slawomir Mentzen of the Confederation party.

Poland’s national cybersecurity body, NASK, initially suggested the ads may have been funded from abroad. However, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, stated the ads were Polish in origin. NASK claimed the content appeared to support one candidate while discrediting others, possibly aiming to destabilize the election. Still, it has declined to release the ads, citing security concerns.

Further controversy arose when WP.pl reported that a former assistant to a KO lawmaker helped recruit people to appear in the ads. This led Nawrocki to accuse Trzaskowski’s campaign of violating election financing laws and file a complaint with prosecutors. Under Polish law, all political ad spending must be declared and properly labeled.

The issue escalated as campaign-related videos similar to those flagged by NASK were found on the social media accounts of high-ranking KO officials, including Trzaskowski’s team members. Despite growing pressure, including from Polish Parliament Speaker Szymon Holownia, Trzaskowski insisted his campaign follows legal standards and issued a letter to Meta denying involvement.

The first round of voting is set for May 19, with a runoff scheduled for June 1 if no candidate secures over 50%. The controversy adds tension to an already heated race amid concerns over election transparency and political interference.