Poland's new president pledges sovereignty, challenges Brussels
Nawrocki, backed by the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, narrowly beat Rafał Trzaskowski – the pro-European candidate from Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition – in June's election. During Wednesday's inauguration, Nawrocki used his speech in parliament to criticise Tusk's pro-European camp, declaring that he will not allow Warsaw to be dominated by Brussels.
'I will be the voice of those who want a sovereign Poland. A Poland that is in the EU, but is not the EU. A Poland that is, and will remain, Poland.'
He called for bold investments and renewed ambition, declaring: 'We can no longer be a subsidiary farm for our western neighbours or the entire EU.'
In a signal of his foreign policy ambitions, Nawrocki also proposed expanding the Bucharest Nine (B9) defence format to include Nordic countries. B9 was founded in 2015, following Russia's annexation of Crimea a year before, as a joint initiative by the then-Romanian and Polish presidents.
'Strengthening NATO's eastern flank will be the guiding focus of my presidency,' Nawrocki pledged. Calls for unity Reacting to the inauguration, Tusk addressed his supporters in a post on X, acknowledging the disappointment of his camp. 'We all believed that honesty, goodness, and love would prevail,' he wrote, adding that 'what has happened puts our faith to a serious test.'
Following the ceremony, a traditional mass was also held. Archbishop Adrian Galbas – a moderate voice among Poland's bishops – used his homily to strike a conciliatory tone, warning that the country's 'long-standing political conflict' had 'tragically divided our nation into hostile tribes.'
Less than a few hours before the archbishop's homily, the new president had attacked the country's pro-EU government, stating that it was "undermining the rule of law" in the country.
Under previous PiS governments, Poland faced major rule of law disputes with Brussels, eventually leading to legal action and frozen funds, which were restored with Tusk's election in 2023.
(cs, mm)
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