I am reading a post dated July 22, 2026: “It was immensely pleasing for us to host Deputy Minister of Justice Arkadiusz Myrcha, together with his wife, Kinga Gajewska, today. It was a friendly visit during which our guests had the opportunity to see how Bolesławiec ceramics are made. The skills and craftsmanship of our employees made a tremendous impression on them”.

The cheerful news was shared on Facebook by one of the members of ZCB’s management, Mr Krzysztof Huczyński. (Neither the deputy minister nor his wife shared news of the visit on their own social media. There is also no mention of the visit on ZCB’s official website; on July 22, ZCB were advertising a pickling pot for cucumbers on their website – editor.)

What am I getting at? For years, I have been helping people wronged by all kinds of public administration in our country. Seeing the cheerful picture of the smiling faces of ZCB’s management, the head of the local structures of Koalicja Obywatelska and—as I read—the deputy justice minister from the current government, I fall into deep thought: is this really a joyful moment for everyone?

We know that the company’s management is embroiled in litigation with ZCB employees; there have been dismissals, a dispute with the trade unions, and issues concerning working conditions and pay.

What concerns me? The visit itself is fine, seemingly nothing significant, but in my opinion it was not properly thought through by the minister. What signal was sent to the employees, who are the true creators of this ceramics’ success? The management is losing the cases it itself provoked—and that at every level of jurisdiction—yet now the minister, knowingly or otherwise, is legitimizing ZCB management’s actions toward the employees.

The company’s involvement in lost cases against its employees has itself caused significant reputational damage to the local structures of Koalicja Obywatelska, while the legitimization of these actions through the presence of the deputy justice minister has only deepened that damage and extended it to Koalicja Obywatelska as a whole.

What could this serve? Letting my imagination run wild and linking it to the recent election results, in which Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy suffered a defeat in the party’s stronghold, certain political events must be connected and certain conclusions drawn—and, well, it is unlikely that Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy have surrendered. They will certainly fight to return to the political stage and re-enter the game. What must they do? Weaken Koalicja Obywatelska. How? By weakening its image. But how can KO be weakened most effectively? Letting it happen—or perhaps KO has done it to itself.

The current chairman of the county structures is Grzegorz Przybylski, who appeared suddenly on the political scene—and this coincided with the end of the term of Lower Silesia marshal Cezary Przybylski, Grzegorz’s father. Very quickly, despite differences of opinion and divisions within the local Koalicja Obywatelska, he nevertheless became the head of these structures.

What have we observed since the elections? Mounting problems at ZCB, where members of Koalicja Obywatelska took over the management, followed by reputational damage under their leadership connected with the aforementioned skirmish with employees.

The hospital merger did not help, as its repercussions are being heard throughout the country. Deep divisions within Koalicja Obywatelska itself in the county—that is, the search for a “scapegoat” to blame for the party’s internal problems—and the groundwork for an electoral success by Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy and the right wing is ready.

This is, of course, my theory, but how realistic it is. I am even afraid that it may be true.

What can be done? We can hope that society will show common sense and recognize that Koalicja Obywatelska is nevertheless pro-development and progressive, or hope for a clear change of course by the local Koalicja Obywatelska—but I myself am not counting on that.

Niccolò Machiavelli himself would blush with shame.