In Sunday’s referendum (25 October), residents of Częstochowa recalled the city’s mayor Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk and the city council. In the vote on the mayor, 51,863 people took part (validity threshold: 46,625), and about 97% backed the recall. In the vote on the council, 51,844 people took part, with about 96.2% in favour of the recall. Early elections will be held in the city.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is on an official visit to Vietnam, said in Hanoi that he could only express satisfaction that residents share the view of prosecutors and the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) on Matyjaszczyk. He stressed that the mayor was “removed” while he is prime minister. He added that referendums are a “useful tool”, but he did not want to generalise on that basis. He accused PiS and Konfederacja of following the principle of “the worse, the better”.
Matyjaszczyk was detained by the CBA on 25 February. Prosecutors accuse him, among other things, of accepting at least PLN 40,000 in exchange for budget changes favourable to a contractor. He says he is the victim of slander; the New Left has suspended his party membership.
What it means for you
- Częstochowa residents in the UK: in the early elections in Częstochowa you vote in the city, based on registered residence or entry in the electoral register – there is no voting abroad in local elections.
- Similar referendums may take place in Gliwice and Poznań – the prime minister warned against treating them as campaigning ahead of the Sejm elections.
Our assessment
The result is unequivocal and turnout clearly exceeded the threshold. The political dispute is only just beginning: local referendums are becoming a tool in the battle ahead of the parliamentary elections.
Source: Rzeczpospolita / PAP (26.10.2026).
We assess factual corrections and substantive responses. Verified changes are reflected in our reporting.
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