Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Monday his intention to request a government confidence vote in parliament, after his candidate, Rafal Trzaskowski, lost a presidential election on Sunday.
“The first test will be a vote of confidence, which I will ask in the parliament soon,” Tusk said in a televised speech.
The victory of nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki in Sunday’s presidential election was a significant setback for the centrist government’s efforts to strengthen Warsaw’s pro-European orientation.
According to the National Election Commission, Nawrocki won with 50.89% of the vote.
President’s role is not symbolic in Poland In the Polish political system, the prime minister, who is chosen by parliament, holds most day-to-day power.
After his candidate, Rafal Trzaskowski, lost a presidential election on Sunday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared Monday that he would ask parliament for a government confidence vote.
In a televised speech, Tusk stated, “I will ask the parliament soon for a vote of confidence, which will be the first test.”.
At home and abroad, he continued, “I want everyone to see, including our opponents, that we are ready for this situation, that we understand the gravity of the moment, but that we do not intend to take a single step back.”.
In Sunday’s presidential election, nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki won, which was a major blow to the centrist government’s attempts to fortify Warsaw’s pro-European stance.
Using 50.89 percent of the vote, Nawrocki won, according to the National Election Commission. He was backed by the conservative nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party and was a euroskeptic historian.
Supported by Tusk and the ruling Civic Coalition (KO), liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski garnered 49.11 percent. While congratulating Nawrocki, he acknowledged the loss.
Poland is going conservative.
Nawrocki was supported by the right-wing opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, which is closely associated with outgoing President Andrzej Duda, despite his running as an independent.
The European Union claimed that the judicial reforms implemented by the previous PiS government threatened democracy and the rights of women and minorities, and Prime Minister Tusk’s ruling coalition has attempted to undo those reforms.
But Duda thwarted those attempts, and Nawrocki is anticipated to stay in this role. Nawrocki’s supporters see him as a defender of conservative principles, which include his adamant opposition to abortion.
While on the campaign trail, Nawrocki denounced what he called excessive Brussels meddling and pledged to protect Poland’s identity.
He is now more sympathetic to the United States after receiving support from US President Donald Trump, who welcomed him to the White House in early May.
He is against Ukraine joining NATO but has promised to continue supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
In Poland, the presidency is not a symbolic position.
The prime minister, who is chosen by parliament, is in charge of most daily affairs in the Polish political system.
But the president’s job is more than just ceremonial. The head of state can veto laws and have an impact on foreign policy.
Due to Duda’s veto power, Tusk was unable to carry out pledges to repeal laws that politicized the judicial system in ways deemed undemocratic by the EU.
Tusk made promises to the EU and to voters, but it now seems that he will not be able to keep them.
August 6 marks the end of Duda’s second and final term; Nawrocki will take over. The Polish constitution states that the president has a five-year term and is eligible for one term of reelection.
By Wesley Rahn, editor.
