Nawrocki to be sworn-in as Poland's president amid election disputes
The inauguration is expected to commence with a mass, before a secular ceremony with members of both parliamentary chambers in attendance.
Nawrocki's slim win over the ruling coalition's candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski, means that the government of Donald Tusk has missed the opportunity to secure full control in Poland, and the presidential veto will continue to serve as a 'brake' on legislative power.
Before entering the presidential race, Nawrocki, a former head of the state-run Institute of National Remembrance, was little known to the public. However, his campaign was marred by allegations that surfaced during the race. Early on, reports linked him to the criminal underworld in his hometown of Gdańsk, a port city on Poland's Baltic coast.
According to the national news agency Onet, Nawrocki and his wife acquired a second property from an 80-year-old man in 2017 in exchange for lifelong care, but the man was later found in a state facility. Nawrocki admitted they had lost contact with him.
Far-right candidate Sławomir Mentzen had also accused Nawrocki of taking part in an organised fight between football hooligan gangs from Gdańsk and Poznań, a western city. Nawrocki did not deny the accusation, with a campaign aide stating he was 'not ashamed' of the 'manly combat.'
Onet also reported that two of Nawrocki's former colleagues alleged he had arranged sex workers for hotel guests while working as a security guard in the northern city of Sopot in the early 2000s.
After the election, allegations of serious irregularities in the vote count emerged. Despite receiving over 50,000 complaints, Poland's Supreme Court, which has final authority over the validity of elections, upheld the results.
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WARSAW – Karol Nawrocki, who is backed by Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) party, is set to be sworn in as president on Wednesday, following his narrow victory in the election this year, which sparked concerns over the vote count. The inauguration is expected to commence with a mass, before a secular ceremony with members of both parliamentary chambers in attendance. Nawrocki's slim win over the ruling coalition's candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski, means that the government of Donald Tusk has missed the opportunity to secure full control in Poland, and the presidential veto will continue to serve as a 'brake' on legislative power. Before entering the presidential race, Nawrocki, a former head of the state-run Institute of National Remembrance, was little known to the public. However, his campaign was marred by allegations that surfaced during the race. Early on, reports linked him to the criminal underworld in his hometown of Gdańsk, a port city on Poland's Baltic coast. According to the national news agency Onet, Nawrocki and his wife acquired a second property from an 80-year-old man in 2017 in exchange for lifelong care, but the man was later found in a state facility. Nawrocki admitted they had lost contact with him. Far-right candidate Sławomir Mentzen had also accused Nawrocki of taking part in an organised fight between football hooligan gangs from Gdańsk and Poznań, a western city. Nawrocki did not deny the accusation, with a campaign aide stating he was 'not ashamed' of the 'manly combat.' Onet also reported that two of Nawrocki's former colleagues alleged he had arranged sex workers for hotel guests while working as a security guard in the northern city of Sopot in the early 2000s. After the election, allegations of serious irregularities in the vote count emerged. Despite receiving over 50,000 complaints, Poland's Supreme Court, which has final authority over the validity of elections, upheld the results.
