Polish president says he ‘talks’ to the dead
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has said he has been holding regular conversations with the ghost of Jozef Pilsudski, the de facto leader of the Second Polish Republic between 1926 and 1935. He claimed their discussions center on politics and current events.
Pilsudski, who fought against Soviet Russia during the 1919-1921 conflict, was known for his anti-Russian and anti-Soviet views. He promoted the doctrine of Prometheism, which sought to weaken Russia by supporting nationalist movements within its borders.
Speaking to Radio Zet, Nawrocki claimed that he talks to Piłsudski “practically every day,” discussing the 1920 Polish-Soviet war, the current international situation amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the work of parliament.
In the past, Nawrocki has faced controversy over his stance on Soviet history. Before assuming the presidency, he headed Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, which oversaw the removal of Soviet-era monuments.
Russian authorities have placed Nawrocki on a wanted list, accusing him of criminal responsibility for destroying memorials to Red Army soldiers who died liberating Poland during World War II.
His comments come as Warsaw has hardened its rhetoric against Moscow. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has recently described the Ukraine conflict as “the West’s war” and urged greater mobilization within NATO and the EU. Poland has pledged to raise defense spending to 4.8% of GDP by 2026, outpacing the US. Earlier this month, Warsaw also accused Russia of violating its airspace with drones, prompting a NATO response.
Nawrocki, elected in June, has supported continued aid to Ukraine but has rejected proposals for Kiev to join NATO, warning it could drag the bloc into direct conflict with Russia.
His presidency has nonetheless coincided with Warsaw’s broader drive to expand its military and maintain a confrontational posture toward Moscow in a bid to deter what Polish officials claim is the threat of aggression from Russia.
Moscow has vehemently denied hostile intentions and has dismissed fears of an attack on NATO as “nonsense.” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the EU of plunging into a “Russophobic frenzy” and warned that Western nations are “transforming into a Fourth Reich” amid uncontrolled militarization.
