Nationalist Nawrocki sworn in as Polish president
Nawrocki took the presidential oath in a ceremony in the Polish parliament on Wednesday.
The election victory of Nawrocki, who was backed by the nationalist opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), dealt a blow to Prime Minister Donald Tusk's hopes of cementing the pro-European Union course he has set for the bloc's largest eastern member and left his government floundering in the polls.
Poland is now bracing for a continuation of the deadlock seen under nationalist outgoing President Andrzej Duda, with Nawrocki able to use his veto powers to stymie a government agenda that includes rolling back judicial reforms implemented by PiS, which critics said undermined the independence of the courts.
Nawrocki also looks set to pose a headache for the government by proposing measures such as tax cuts that are likely to be popular with many voters but hard to implement for an administration with a stretched budget.
"As prime minister, I have so far worked with three presidents," Tusk, who was also prime minister from 2007 to 2014, wrote in a post on X.
"What will it be like with the fourth? We'll manage."
The incoming president has said he does not currently see a place for Ukraine in NATO or the EU, a marked shift in tone compared to Duda.
As president, Nawrocki would be required to sign off on Poland's ratification of a new member joining NATO.
While Tusk has said that the European Union should play a bigger role in defence matters alongside NATO, PiS and Nawrocki have argued this would undermine Poland's alliance with the United States.
"The United States is undoubtedly our priority partner," said Nawrocki's spokesman Rafal Leskiewicz.
However, the fact he is a political newcomer who was little known to the public before PiS threw its weight behind him means there is much uncertainty about how his presidency will pan out, political observers say.
"I don't know if he will, in short, fully implement the policies of Law and Justice ... or if he will try to come up with his own initiatives," said Andrzej Rychard, a sociologist from the Polish Academy of Science.
Nawrocki emerged victorious from a tumultuous campaign in which allegations regarding his past, including that he acquired a second property from an elderly man in return for a promise of care that he did not provide, frequently dominated the headlines.
Nawrocki denied accusations of wrongdoing, although he admitted to taking part in an organised fight between football hooligans, adding to the tough-guy image the amateur boxer had already sought to cultivate.
After the election, supporters of defeated liberal candidate Rafal Trzaskowski filed thousands of protests to the Supreme Court over irregularities at some polling stations.
However, the irregularities were not enough to materially alter the result.
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Israel denies there is starvation in the besieged strip despite international human rights groups decrying its offensive in Gaza and attributing deaths to starvation. University students have walked out of classrooms across the country in solidarity with Palestinians as Australia considers its next diplomatic moves. National student strikes were held in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane and Wollongong on Thursday to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. About 300 people gathered in central Melbourne, with one speaker accusing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong of having '"the blood of Gaza" on their hands. "Thousands of children, hundreds of thousands of people are slowly starving to death in a man-made famine," she told the crowd outside the State Library. The demonstrators marched through the street holding signs and chanting "Israel out of Gaza" and "Israel out of West Bank". They staged a sit-in at the corner in front of Flinders Street Station, blocking the intersection to traffic. Police tried to open the road and removed protesters who refused to move. Five protesters were arrested and are expected to be charged on summons, police said. A man with an Australian flag was also moved on for breaching the peace. Tens of thousands of Australians took part in pro-Palestine protests at the weekend, including at least 90,000 who rallied at the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Brisbane's Story Bridge could be the next monument to host a historic march after Justice For Palestine told Queensland police of their intention to walk across it on August 24. Australia has begun co-ordinating with other nations as France, Canada and the UK prepare to recognise the state of Palestine at a United Nations meeting in September. 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More than 50,000 children have been killed or injured by Israel since October 2023, UNICEF said. Mr Rodgers was one of many former Australian diplomats who signed an open letter to Mr Albanese calling on Australia to urgently recognise Palestinian statehood. More than 140 of the 193 United Nations member states already recognise the state of Palestine, including European Union member states Spain and Ireland. Mr Albanese has said the recognition of Palestine would need to guarantee Hamas plays no role in the future nation. Hamas has effectively governed Gaza since violently defeating the political party Fatah, which now controls the Palestinian Authority that exercises partial civil control in the West Bank. Mr Albanese spoke with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, reiterating Australia's commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East that would allow Palestine and Israel to co-exist. "The entire international community is distressed by what we're seeing happening in Gaza," he told reporters in Melbourne. More than two million people in Gaza are now facing high levels of food insecurity, United Nations sources have found. Israel denies there is starvation in the besieged strip despite international human rights groups decrying its offensive in Gaza and attributing deaths to starvation. University students have walked out of classrooms across the country in solidarity with Palestinians as Australia considers its next diplomatic moves. National student strikes were held in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane and Wollongong on Thursday to highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. About 300 people gathered in central Melbourne, with one speaker accusing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong of having '"the blood of Gaza" on their hands. 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Australia has begun co-ordinating with other nations as France, Canada and the UK prepare to recognise the state of Palestine at a United Nations meeting in September. The federal government has been hesitant to commit to a deadline for recognition and the coalition has raised concerns such an action could be seen as a reward for designated terrorist organisation Hamas. But Australia's former ambassador to Israel Peter Rodgers dismissed such arguments as "nonsensical". "Not recognising a Palestinian state rewards Israel," he told ABC Radio. "It rewards the government of Benjamin Netanyahu for ethnic cleansing and apartheid in the West Bank." A genocide case has been brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which is yet to rule on the matter. Mr Netanyahu's office called the allegations "false and outrageous", with his government repeatedly claiming it only targets Hamas and not civilians. Violence in Gaza reignited after Hamas killed 1200 people in Israel and took about 250 hostages on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed 60,000 people, according to local health authorities. More than 50,000 children have been killed or injured by Israel since October 2023, UNICEF said. Mr Rodgers was one of many former Australian diplomats who signed an open letter to Mr Albanese calling on Australia to urgently recognise Palestinian statehood. More than 140 of the 193 United Nations member states already recognise the state of Palestine, including European Union member states Spain and Ireland. Mr Albanese has said the recognition of Palestine would need to guarantee Hamas plays no role in the future nation. Hamas has effectively governed Gaza since violently defeating the political party Fatah, which now controls the Palestinian Authority that exercises partial civil control in the West Bank. 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Brisbane's Story Bridge could be the next monument to host a historic march after Justice For Palestine told Queensland police of their intention to walk across it on August 24. Australia has begun co-ordinating with other nations as France, Canada and the UK prepare to recognise the state of Palestine at a United Nations meeting in September. The federal government has been hesitant to commit to a deadline for recognition and the coalition has raised concerns such an action could be seen as a reward for designated terrorist organisation Hamas. But Australia's former ambassador to Israel Peter Rodgers dismissed such arguments as "nonsensical". "Not recognising a Palestinian state rewards Israel," he told ABC Radio. "It rewards the government of Benjamin Netanyahu for ethnic cleansing and apartheid in the West Bank." A genocide case has been brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which is yet to rule on the matter. 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Hamas has effectively governed Gaza since violently defeating the political party Fatah, which now controls the Palestinian Authority that exercises partial civil control in the West Bank. Mr Albanese spoke with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, reiterating Australia's commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East that would allow Palestine and Israel to co-exist. "The entire international community is distressed by what we're seeing happening in Gaza," he told reporters in Melbourne. More than two million people in Gaza are now facing high levels of food insecurity, United Nations sources have found. Israel denies there is starvation in the besieged strip despite international human rights groups decrying its offensive in Gaza and attributing deaths to starvation.
Courier-Mail
5 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
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Don't miss out on the headlines from Brisbane City. Followed categories will be added to My News. A pro-Palestinian group has sought to shut down the Story Bridge for a mass protest — in an action to mirror the mammoth march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It will be up to Queensland Police to decide — at least initially — if the protest planned for Sunday August 24 can go ahead. Queensland's major Jewish group has already warned the protest will worsen violence and anti-Semitic behaviour against the community. Justice for Palestine has lodged an application to shut down the Story Bridge for hours so that protesters — which they estimate will number at least 7000 — can march 1.5km from Raymond Park to Centenary Place. Queensland Police in May stopped a protest on Story Bridge organised by community members angry at Brisbane City Council's closure of footpaths for critical maintenance. Palestinian protesters on the Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Picture: Brendan Read A QPS spokesman confirmed they had received notice from Justice for Palestine, and the application was being assessed. 'The QPS recognises that every person has the right to peacefully assemble under the Human Rights Act and Peaceful Assembly Act,' he said. Brisbane City Council opposed the planned Story Bridge footpath protest. It was approached for comment. Premier David Crisafulli said whether to allow the protest was a matter for Queensland Police. 'Police will assess the application independently based on community safety but shutting down a city is no way to endear Queenslanders to your cause,' he said. Organisers of the pro-Palestinian march across the Harbour Bridge were initially denied by NSW Police, but the decision was overturned in court. Justice For Palestine organiser and spokesman Omar Ashour said based on the Sydney turnout and the increase in attendance at the group's Brisbane events it expected about 7000 people to attend the march. 'The Harbour Bridge rally last Sunday changed the tone in the media and in government,'' he said. 'They realise they have underestimated the feeling in the community both here and overseas. 'It's only words so far, but the words from the government are starting to change. This is all a reflection of the genuine sentiment in the street.'' Palestinian protesters on the Harbour Bridge on Sunday. Picture: Brendan Read Mr Ashour said there would be speakers at the end of the march including past or present politicians. He estimated it would take several hours to reach the CBD — a move which would cause traffic chaos as the Story Bridge is a major arterial connecting Brisbane's north and south sides. Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies president Jason Steinberg said Jews were worried the Story Bridge protest would only worsen violence against his community and anti-Semitic behaviour. 'It's not a great environment for Jews in Queensland or Australia at the moment and that's very sad,' he said. He called the Sydney march 'abhorrent'' because protesters were carrying banners with images of tyrannical Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and terrorist group Hezbollah and chanting 'the river to the sea'' — seen as a call to drive Israelis from their country. A flyer for the planned Story Bridge march. The biggest march in Brisbane's history was against the Iraq War, with the 2003 protest through the city drawing a crowd of 100,000 people according to State Library of Queensland records. The Story Bridge handled crowds of 74,000 people — broken into four 1.5 hour blocks — during its 75th birthday celebrations. Organisers of the protest across the Sydney expected 50,000 people to attend the march on August 3. Police estimated at least 90,000 people took part.
