Maciej Maciak (born 19 June 1970 in Wลocลawek)[1][2] is a Polish journalist and politician, leader of the Prosperity and Peace Movement (RDiP)[3] and candidate for the 2025 Polish presidential election.
Maciej Maciak | |
|---|---|
Maciej Maciak in 2025 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 June 1970 |
| Party | Prosperity and Peace Movement |
Other political affiliations | Bezpartyjni Samorzฤ
dowcy (formerly) Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland (formerly) |
Biography
editMaciak was born in Wลocลawek and is tied with local media. Since 2009, for 10 years he directed the local television "CW 24tv". Afterwards, he started the YouTube channel "Musisz to wiedzieฤ",[4] which by the time of his presidential campaign reached 67,000 subscribers.[5]
Maciak is involved in politics. In 2006, 36-year-old Maciak contested the election for the KuyavianโPomeranian Voivodeship Sejmik for Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland,[6] where he won 500 votes.[7] Meanwhile, he was also sympathetic to the League of Polish Families.[8]
In 2018, he ran for President of Wลocลawek along a slate of candidates supportive of him to the city council, which secured 7.80% of the vote and no seats,[9] whereas he himself received 14.13% of the vote.[10] In 2019, he attempted to contest the election to the 13th Senate district for the Bezpartyjni Samorzฤ dowcy,[11] but with 328 of the signatures supporting his candidacy rejected by the electoral authorities, he came 51 signatures short of the required amount to be put on the ballot.[12][13] In 2024, he again ran for the office of President of Wลocลawek,[14] earning 7.42% of the vote.[15] He declared his candidacy in the 2025 Polish presidential election.[4]
Maciak's first big political success was registering the Prosperity and Peace Movement to the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, where the movement won 24,850 votes (0.12%), coming ahead of the Normal Country, "Anti-party" and Repair Poland Movement parties in the Sejm[16] and 20,672 votes (0.10%) in the Senat.[17] He was the party's candidate for poseล in the Sejm Constituency no. 5 with the number 8 on its lists, and personally received 1,298 votes (0.24%),[18] whereas his party in the constituency received 2,266 (0.42%).[19]
He announced his start in the 2025 presidential election, successfully registering with 100,000 signatures. Since the start of the campaign, he was considered one of the more recognizable candidates from outside the major political organizations.[20] His name recognition was further expanded after appearing at the TVP debate on 11 April.[21] For the duration of the day, most searches on the internet were related to him.[5] Minister of National Defence Kosiniak-Kamysz questioned whether his registration as candidate is legitimate, saying he should be investigated.[22]
Views
editMaciak declares himself an enemy of big capital and supports limiting its influence by raising taxes on them, and supports expanding retirement pensions and social welfare programs. He was formerly associated with the far-left party Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland.[6][21][23] He spoke against legalizing abortion and in favor of restoring the pre-2020 law, which allowed abortion only in exceptional cases.[24]
In terms of foreign policy, Maciak declares himself a pacifist, praising China, deeming its politics "perfect", Russia, which he sees as the world's second superpower, and especially Viktor Orbรกn's Hungary, which he sees as his foreign policy model, able to compromise with the United States and Russia.[23][25][26] Maciak admires the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.[27] Maciak believes that Poland should follow the pacifist policy of Costa Rica.[28] He was accused of being a Russophile, a view which he rejects.[3][29]
Private life
editMaciak is a bachelor and has no pets.[25] He knows English, but does not speak it fluently.[23] He is a smoker.[8] He is a Roman Catholic.[24]
Controversies
editIn 2019, he was brought to court for insulting Emanuel Kalejaiye, a Nigerian doctor that was running for President of Wลocลawek against him in 2018 (receiving 2.33% of the vote).[30][31]
On April 30, 2025, Maciak was invited to an interview by Krzysztof Stanowski on Kanaล Zero. Within two minutes of the start of the interview, Stanowski left, stating he did not wish to provide a platform for such views, leaving Maciak alone in the studio, who left a few minutes later. The incident garnered significant media attention and sparked discussions regarding the boundaries of acceptable discourse in political interviews.[32][33][34]
Maciak was the only candidate not invited to all 3 debates hosted by TV Republika, whose host, Katarzyna Gรณjska, stated "The Home of Free Speech will never be a place for a fan of a genocidist and a man who directed threats against us".[35] The debate of campaign staffers hosted by Polsat News, was opened by Piotr Witwicki: "If anyone wants to listen to Maciej Maciak's staff, they shall turn on Russia Today,"[36][37] commented on later by Maciak: "Unfortunately, the truth is much more often on Russia Today, than on Polsat."[38]
Electoral history
edit
ย Sejm
edit| Election year | Party | # of votes |
% of vote |
District | Elected? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Prosperity and Peace Movement | 1,298 | 0.24% | Sejm Constituency no. 5 | No |
Mayor of Wลocลawek
edit| Election year | Party | # of votes |
% of vote |
Elected? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Independent | 6,085 | 14.13% | No |
| 2024 | Independent | 2,588 | 7.42% | No |
Regional assemblies
edit| Election year | Party | # of votes |
% of vote |
Sejmik | Elected? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland | 500 | 0.43% | Kuyavian-Pomeranian | No |
President
edit| Election year | Party | # of votes |
% of vote |
Elected? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Prosperity and Peace Movement | 36,371 | 0.19% | No |
References
edit- ^ "Dlaczego tu jesteลmy?". Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "Wลadimira Putina nazywa "ostojฤ normalnoลci". Kim jest Maciej Maciak". Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Dobrobyt i pokรณj wedลug kandydata na prezydenta Wลocลawka. Pachnie kremlowskฤ narracjฤ ". 5 April 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Chciaล byฤ prezydentem Wลocลawka. Teraz chce zostaฤ prezydentem Polski. Maciej Maciak ogลosiล swรณj start w wyborach". 23 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Putin's hub in Poland: 25 names on list of Russian influence, Maciak under scrutiny". 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Okrฤg wyborczy nr 6 - Komitet Wyborczy Samoobrona Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Statystyki dla okrฤgu wyborczego nr 6". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Towarzysz Maciak. Rosyjskie przekazy kandydata na prezydenta". Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ "Wyniki gลosowania do rady miasta (WYBORY SAMORZฤDOWE 2018)". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Wyniki gลos. i wyb. Prezydenta (WYBORY SAMORZฤDOWE 2018)". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Wybory 2019. Kim sฤ Bezpartyjni i Samorzฤ dowcy? Pokazali siฤ w Toruniu". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Bฤdzie protest i ponowna weryfikacja kart poparcia? Maciej Maciak zapowiada walkฤ..." Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "UCHWAลA NR 238/2019 PAลSTWOWEJ KOMISJI WYBORCZEJ z dnia 10 wrzeลnia 2019 r." (PDF). Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Obwieszczenie Miejskiej Komisji Wyborczej we Wลocลawku z dnia 15 marca 2024 r. o zarejestrowanych kandydatach na prezydenta miasta w wyborach Prezydenta Miasta Wลocลawek zarzฤ dzonych na dzieล 7 kwietnia 2024 r." (PDF). 15 March 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Wyniki w wyborach Prezydenta Miasta Wลocลawek". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Results of voting in 2023 elections for Sejm". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Results of voting in 2023 elections for Senate". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "MACIAK Maciej". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Results of voting in 2023 elections for Sejm (Sejm Constituency no. 5)". Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Wysyp kandydatรณw na prezydenta. Padล rekord wszech czasรณw". Retrieved 20 March 2025.
Na liลcie sฤ rรณwnieลผ osoby spoza znanych formacji, ale rozpoznawalne dla czฤลci odbiorcรณw, np. doktor nauk ekonomicznych Artur Bartoszewicz czy Maciej Maciak, wลaลciciel wลocลawskiej telewizji CW 24tv.
[On the list are also some people from outside the known formations, but recognizable for a share of the recipients, for example dr Artur Bartoszewicz or Maciej Maciak, owner of Wลocลawek television CW 24tv]{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b "Kim jest Maciej Maciak? Pytanie Stanowskiego hitem debaty". Retrieved 12 April 2025.
- ^ "Amerykanie wycofali siฤ z Jasionki. Szef MON: Teraz caลe NATO bierze odpowiedzialnoลฤ". Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ^ a b c "Po debacie w Koลskich. Trzaskowski ominฤ ล rafฤ, Nawrocki zabuksowaล. To byล wieczรณr Hoลowni". Retrieved 12 April 2025.
- ^ a b Kowalska, Karolina; Strzeliลska, Karina (13 May 2025). "Aborcja polaryzuje, zdrowie godzi. Kandydaci zabrali gลos [ANKIETA DGP]". Gazeta Prawna (in Polish).
- ^ a b "Maciej MACIAK program 2025". Retrieved 12 April 2025.
- ^ "Kontrowersyjne wypowiedzi Maciaka na debacie. "Chiny prowadzฤ perfekcyjnฤ politykฤ"". Retrieved 12 April 2025.
- ^ "Rosyjskie media zachwycone Maciakiem na debacie. "Polscy widzowie przeลผyli ogromny szok"". Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ "Maciak: System boi siฤ prawdy". Gniadek (in Polish). 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Wลocลawianin zgลosiล start na prezydenta RP. Niedawno chciaล rzฤ dziฤ Wลocลawkiem". 22 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Czarnoskรณry lekarz zniewaลผony przez dziennikarza? Jest wyrok, ale to nie koniec". 22 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "Sฤ d: Kandydat na prezydenta Wลocลawka zniewaลผyล innego kandydata". Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ "Ekspresowy wywiad Stanowskiego z Maciakiem. Po sลowach o Putinie dziennikarz opuลciล studio". Gazeta.pl. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ "Krzysztof Stanowski opuลciล studio. Burza po wywiadzie z Maciejem Maciakiem". Przeglฤ d Sportowy. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ "Kanaล Zero przerywa wywiad z Maciakiem. Stanowski wychodzi po minucie". Radio ZET. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ Drob, Daniel (9 May 2025). "Telewizja Republika nie wpuลciลa Maciaka na debatฤ. "Nie ma miejsca dla fana ludobรณjcy"". Gazeta.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ "Jeden komitet celowo nie dostaล zaproszenia na debatฤ. Organizator wyjaลnia". Onet (in Polish). 5 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ "Tym razem nie kandydaci, a czลonkowie sztabรณw. Jeden komitet bez zaproszenia na debatฤ". naTemat.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ "Ostatnie takie oลwiadczenia przed wyborami". TVN24 (in Polish). 12 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
