In the final weeks of Poland’s presidential election campaign, allegations surfaced about a digital advertising effort linked to left-leaning liberal networks associated with George Soros, raising concerns over potential election interference and manipulation.
Voters were presented with political ads from anonymous Facebook pages that aggressively promoted liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski while targeting his right-wing opponents, Karol Nawrocki (PiS) and Sławomir Mentzen (Konfederacja).
The campaign’s scale and sophistication raised red flags, with its cost exceeding €100,000, more than half of which was spent in the final week before the election. Akcja Demokracja, a left-wing liberal foundation tied to the international Soros network, is alleged to be behind the ad campaign.
These events underscore the increasing urgency for a system that more effectively tracks shadow funding and foreign political interference. The Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament has consistently called for greater transparency in EU funding to political NGOs and stronger safeguards against foreign influence. Yet, despite Brussels grappling with multiple corruption scandals of its own, it continues to allow left-wing ideologies to be promoted unchecked.