Warsaw Gathers to Watch the United States Elect Barack Obama as New President

5 November 2008

more pictures (part I, part II)

Over 1,200 Poles, Americans, and other residents of Warsaw gathered at the Hotel Intercontinental the evening of November 4 to celebrate the U.S. Presidential Election process, with hundreds remaining – and dancing – throughout the night to watch the announcement of the results on the giant screens showing live coverage of CNN, TVN24, TVP, and Polsat News. Polish media were present in large numbers throughout the night, including television news teams from TVN24, TVP, Polsat, and Superstacja which interviewed U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe, other Embassy officials, and others at the event. About 40 people stayed through the end of the broadcast of President-Elect Obama’s victory speech in Chicago, which ended at 6:30 am Warsaw time.  

The evening was hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw (AmCham), with the support of the American Embassy, the Hotel Intercontinental, and several corporate sponsors. The Republicans Abroad and Democrats Abroad offered information about the parties and candidates and a mock election was held among party guests, in which Senator Obama won with 62% of the vote.  The event was capped by the AmCham breakfast, during which AmCham Chairman Roman Rewald, Ambassador Ashe, and journalists Dorota Warakomska and Mariusz Ziomecki participated in a panel discussion of the election results. Before the breakfast, Ambassador Ashe and Press Attaché James Wolfe did live interviews for morning news shows for TVP, Polsat, TVN, and TVP’s “Kawa czy Herbata.”