Former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro suddenly left Hungary, and the TVN24 station published photos of the politician at the airport in Newark near New York. Ziobro then admitted that he would stay in the USA for now. The right-wing TV station Republika announced that he would be its correspondent and “political commentator in the USA.”
Or maybe not only that? There are many doubts surrounding Zbigniew Ziobro's departure to the United States. It is also unclear what Tomasz Sakiewicz – the head of the Republic – actually has for the USA. Michał Rachoń, one of Sakiewicz's key collaborators, announced at the end of October 2024 that an American company – TV Republika, Inc. was established. It was registered in New York State, and its “ambassador” was Adrian Kubicki, formerly the Polish consul in New York.
We tried to talk to Kubicki about the company's activities, but we have not received an answer yet. We are also trying to ask questions in the Republic itself – we were unable to receive a comment here either.
The company is quite quiet. Some sources show that TV Republika, Inc. is still in operation – and even has an office in a prestigious Manhattan skyscraper. On Republic TV, Inc. however, it did not end. A year after the company's launch, Tomasz Sakiewicz announced the launch of another American venture – TV Republika Foundation, Inc. It has its own website through which US residents can donate to “independent media and innovative educational initiatives.” You can donate, for example, a modest amount of $25, but the website shows that it is possible to transfer up to $5,000. hole. – that is, the equivalent of PLN 18,000. zloty.
And this is not the end of Tomasz Sakiewicz's American ambitions. The entrepreneur has repeatedly announced the launch of a television channel in English. In an interview with the Financial Times, he said that the debut was planned for 2026. The new channel – according to Sakiewicz – was to be supported by US investors close to Donald Trump. Jarosław Olechowski, another close collaborator of Sakiewicz, said in an interview with Wirtualnemedia.pl that although the channel's reach is to be global, the main market is to be primarily the European Union. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's world, as we know, does not like the EU and wants to promote an anti-EU narrative in Europe.
Website of the American TV Republika Foundation
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Press materials
Where is Zbigniew Ziobro in all this?
There are legends about Tomasz Sakiewicz's American contacts. Some of our interlocutors believe that Tomasz Sakiewicz “inflates” the importance of his relations with the MAGA movement. The fact is, however, that Donald Trump gave an interview to Republika, and Sakiewicz co-organized the conservative CPAC conference in Rzeszów in May last year. There was no shortage of real VIPs of the MAGA movement – including: Kristi Noem, former head of the US Department of Homeland Security.
There are many reports that Zbigniew Ziobro's departure to the USA would not have been possible without the efforts of Tomasz Sakiewicz and his associates in the White House. The question remains why the head of the Republic helps Ziobro at all. One answer that appears in informal conversations is that the former minister could help Sakiewicz develop American businesses – for example, an English-language station. — Zbigniew Ziobro may not have very extensive contacts in Washington, but you know, he is a former minister, a “victim” of the liberal elites. Such a person may resonate well in the MAGA world – we hear from one of the Polish politicians.
There is another theory, much more popular. According to her, by helping Ziobro, Tomasz Sakiewicz shows the “doubters” what powers he has in the MAGA world and thus builds his position in the world of the Polish right-wing. And yet, on the one hand, it is undergoing reshuffles, and on the other hand, it is thinking about returning to power after the next parliamentary elections. Tomasz Sakiewicz – whose role is much greater than just the head of a powerful medium – would probably like to have something to say in the future political round.
See also: Phone data reveals the scale of the US boycott. This is what Donald Trump has brought about
Another thing is that although Sakiewicz's position is high, it is not that it is not unthreatened. One of his main “assets” are contacts with the MAGA world – but Donald Trump's position is getting weaker, and in Poland he is less and less treated as a right-wing hero. And the world of “Polish MAGA” is getting more and more crowded. For example, the Newsmax channel, considered one of the main media in Donald Trump's world, debuts in Poland. Therefore, it will be direct competition for TV Republika. Before he conquers New York, Tomasz Sakiewicz must take care of his position in Warsaw. And here Zbigniew Ziobro in Washington may be like a goldmine for him.
Author: Mateusz Madejski, journalist of Business Insider Polska
