A Polish presidential candidate faced criticism on Tuesday for allegedly excessively promoting himself as a historian in a 2018 interview where he used a pseudonym. Karol Nawrocki, backed by Poland's nationalist opposition party Law and Justice, was ridiculed by political rivals following media reports on the incident. Analysts noted the setback to his campaign’s chances of advancing to the second round runoff.

Nawrocki, the director of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance and former head of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk, authored a book about a gangster under the pen name Tadeusz Batyr. In a TVP interview as Batyr, his appearance altered, he praised his own work without disclosing his real identity.

Despite jests from supporters of liberal frontrunner Rafal Trzaskowski, Nawrocki downplayed the controversy. He explained that using pen names is common in Polish media, literature, and academia, clarifying that he aimed to dissociate the Museum from his book on a criminal figure.