Trzaskowski's clear position on the Smolensk monument. "Enough divisions"

- I think that this monument should simply stay where it is - says in the latest recording the KO candidate for president Rafał Trzaskowski. This is how the mayor of Warsaw refers to the issue of the possible liquidation of the so-called Smolensk monument. The monument, which stands on Piłsudski Square, has been causing disputes and discussions for years, also being the subject of political rows.

Rafał Trzaskowski published a new video on Tuesday, titled "Enough divisions. The enemy is in the east, not in Poland!" . In the recording, the mayor of the capital answers a question asked to him on the X platform.

"Mr. President, can the 'Smolensk' stairs be removed from Piłsudski Square? And when?" - asks a social media user.

- Listen, let's have respect for the victims of the tragedy. We've really had enough of these divisions . I think that this monument should simply stay where it is - the KO candidate for president of the Republic of Poland answers the above question.

What is significant, the words of Trzaskowski, who, even before taking over the reins at Warsaw City Hall, said that the manner of erecting the monument to the victims of the Smolensk disaster was " an example of PiS arrogance and arrogance ", are yet another statement of this type in which he supports leaving the monument in its current location.

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Last year, when the then Minister of Culture Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz wanted to move the Smolensk steps from Piłsudski Square, Trzaskowski also opposed moving the monument.

- Taking him away from there would cause incredible emotions , for the next few months we would only be dealing with this, instead of fixing the country, we don't need it for anything. Reason should dominate over the heart - said the mayor of the capital.

Also in February 2024, Rafał Trzaskowski spoke about the high-profile case of the creation of a street in Warsaw named after President Lech Kaczyński. As he emphasized at the time, he had not changed his mind and believed that the deceased leader should have his own street in the capital. However, he emphasized that street names are the competence of the Warsaw Council.

Let us recall that in April 2016, the Sejm adopted an act on the prohibition of propagating communism or another totalitarian system through the names of buildings, facilities and public utility devices, i.e. the so-called decommunization act. It imposed on local governments, among other things, the obligation to change the names of streets that commemorated or propagated communism.

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As the Warsaw Council was in no hurry to change the names of the streets, the topic was taken up by the then Mazovian Voivode Zdzisław Sipiera from PiS, whose order was to rename al. Armii Ludowej to ul. Lecha Kaczyńskiego.

The Warsaw Council later opposed this decision and, with the votes of members from the Civic Coalition, appealed to the court, which in May 2018 issued a judgment stating that Sipiera had acted in violation of the law. The judgment was later upheld by the Supreme Administrative Court .

Ultimately, Lecha Kaczyńskiego Street once again became Armii Ludowej Avenue, which PiS politicians are trying to attribute the credit to Rafał Trzaskowski, although de facto it was the Warsaw Council that complied with the court's ruling.