"The Minister is solving a crossword or is he thinking about changing his career path?"
“Do we correctly say pimp, pimp or pimp?” – Radosław Sikorski asked on the X platform. The Minister of Foreign Affairs referred in this way to the lawsuit that Karol Nawrocki brought against the publisher of Onet after the publication of an article about his work in the Grand Hotel in Sopot.
Presidential Minister Marcin Przydacz responded to the entry of the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Do we correctly say boor, boor or primitive?" – he wrote on the X platform.
PiS MP Radosław Fogiel also joined in the exchange of opinions. "And does the Minister solve crosswords or is he thinking about changing his career path?" – he commented.
Karol Nawrocki's trial with the publisher of Onet
The case referred to by Sikorski concerns the article "Karol Nawrocki and the secrets of the Grand Hotel", published in May 2025. Its authors, Andrzej Stankiewicz and Jacek Harłukowicz, described the accounts of people who claimed that Nawrocki, working as a security guard in a hotel in Sopot, was supposed to organize prostitutes for the hotel's guests.
Karol Nawrocki rejected the allegations presented in the publication and sued the publisher of Onet, Ringier Axel Springer Polska. The president believes that the article violated his personal rights and demands the publication of an apology in the lawsuit.
On Tuesday, the public could learn the details of the hearing before the District Court in Warsaw for the first time. The portal's lawyers sought to declassify the proceedings.
The witness described the situation at the hotel
One of the people who testified in the case was Natasza Geldon, who worked in security at the Grand Hotel together with Karol Nawrocki. The woman described the situation she was supposed to have observed while on reception duty.
I noticed that Karol was entering the hotel with a woman and a man. This was unusual because we, as security, did not bring guests into the hotel, she testified.
As she reported, the three of them talked to each other and then took the elevator to the floors intended for hotel guests.
The three of them were walking, talking to each other. It was quite a casual situation. Then they took the elevator to the floors intended for hotel guests, the witness said.
She also emphasized that the duties of security staff did not include escorting guests to the elevator, "much less taking them up."
Geldon testified that she later asked Nawrocki about the observed situation. According to her, she heard that you can earn extra money by bringing in girls. The woman explained that the conversation confirmed her belief that she had witnessed the practice.
I was a young girl then, 19 years old. So when I noticed this woman and man with Karol, I had the impression that a pimp was walking in with a prostitute. The subsequent conversation with Karol made me even more sure, she said in court.
These are witness accounts presented during the proceedings. The mere fact that they were submitted does not determine the truthfulness of the allegations against the president.
Andrzej Stankiewicz: Witnesses revealed their identities
Andrzej Stankiewicz, deputy editor-in-chief of Onet and one of the authors of the questioned article, also spoke about the testimony and participation of witnesses in the trial.
As he recalled, at the time of publication, the editorial office informed that the people whose accounts were included in the material were ready to appear in court. There were two such witnesses.
She promised to appear in court, reveal her identity and tell this story. That's exactly what happened. The first witness had already testified and exactly the same thing happened, i.e. he appeared in court, revealed his identity and testified what he said in the text - said Stankiewicz.
He added that he was counting on the disclosure of the testimony of the first witness, submitted in September.
Nawrocki is scheduled to testify in January 2027
The District Court in Warsaw set the date for January 18, 2027, for the hearing of Karol Nawrocki in the civil case against the publisher of Onet. Judge Aleksandra Orzechowska obliged the president to attend the meeting in person.
The civil case is not the only proceeding related to the publication. The authors of the article are also to answer in a separate criminal case initiated by a private indictment.
The trial concerns allegations related to publication and protection of personal rights. Until the case is resolved, the claims presented in the article and the position of Karol Nawrocki should be distinguished from the findings of a final court decision.
