Polish PM seeks confidence vote after nationalist elected president
2 Min Read
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced a June 11 confidence vote after nationalist Karol Nawrocki won the presidential election.
-
Karol Nawrocki, second left, arrives at a polling station with family members during the presidential election runoff in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared on Tuesday that a parliamentary confidence vote would be held next week, aiming to reaffirm backing for his pro-EU government following the victory of nationalist Karol Nawrocki in the presidential election.
European far-right leaders have celebrated the victory of 42-year-old Nawrocki, an admirer of former US President Donald Trump who has vowed to resist Prime Minister Tusk's progressive policies.
In Sunday's runoff election in the deeply divided EU and NATO member state, Nawrocki secured victory with 51% of the vote against 49% for Tusk's liberal ally Rafal Trzaskowski.
Former European Council president Tusk scheduled the confidence vote for June 11 while affirming his determination to remain in office, telling journalists, "Some things can be done better, faster. And this vote of confidence should be a new beginning: offensive, not defensive."
Opposition gloats over their victory
Tusk's announcement followed opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party claiming that Polish voters had shown the government the "red card".
In his victory speech, Nawrocki expressed his vision for Poland to become "a state that matters in international, European and transatlantic relations" as supporters cheered his win.
Nawrocki's presidency risks reigniting conflicts with Brussels regarding rule-of-law disputes while potentially straining relations with neighboring Ukraine, as he opposes granting NATO membership to the war-torn nation and advocates reducing support for Ukrainian refugees.
"Nawrocki's presidency will be a rough ride for the Tusk government," analyst Piotr Buras told AFP, noting that the president-elect wants to "overthrow Tusk." He told AFP the election result could take Poland towards early parliamentary elections, "maybe not this year, but the next."
