Trump-backed Nawrocki assumes the Polish presidency and could steer a more nationalist course
Most day-to-day power in Poland rests with the Prime Minister, chosen by parliament. However, the President holds the power to influence foreign policy and veto laws.
Mr. Nawrocki, who was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of a narrow victory in a run-off election in June, is a 42-year-old historian who had no political experience prior to campaigning. He was not even a political party member until being approached by the conservative Law and Justice party that governed Poland from 2015 to 2023.
Welcomed to the Sejm, Poland's parliament, by uproarious chants of 'Karol, Karol' and rhythmic clapping on Wednesday, Mr. Nawrocki raised his right hand and took the oath of office to kick off a five-year term.
'The free choice of a nation has put me before you today,' Mr. Nawrocki said in a raspy, deep voice during his inauguration speech.
He lashed out at 'electoral propaganda' and 'lies' during the campaign that culminated in the June 1 runoff vote, but added: 'As a Christian, I forgive with peace of mind and from the bottom of my heart all this contempt, and what happened during the elections.'
He alluded to Poland's membership in the 27-member European Union and Poland's role in NATO as an indication of his international agenda. Poland has strongly supported Ukraine in its defence against Russia since President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade its southern neighbor 3 1/2 years ago.
'I will of course support relations within the European Union, but I will never agree to the European Union taking competences away from Poland, especially in matters that are not enshrined in the European treaties,' he said.
Nawrocki said he would 'strive to make the Polish army the largest NATO force in the European Union' and said Poles were "responsible for building the strength of NATO's eastern flank.'
Nawrocki's supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional, patriotic values. Many of them oppose abortion and LGBTQ+ visibility and say Nawrocki reflects the values they grew up with.
The U.S. conservative group CPAC held its first meeting in Poland during the campaign to give him a boost. Kristi Noem, the U.S. Homeland Security secretary and a Trump ally, praised Nawrocki and urged Poles to vote for him.
His campaign echoed themes popular on the U.S. right. A common refrain from his supporters is that Nawrocki will restore 'normality,' as they believe Trump has done. U.S. flags appeared at his rallies.
Nawrocki's quick political rise has not been without controversy, with reports linking him to underworld figures whom he met while boxing or working as a hotel security guard in the past.
Nawrocki has also been linked to a scandal involving the acquisition of a Gdansk apartment from a retiree. Allegations suggest Nawrocki promised to care for the man in return but failed to fulfill the commitment, leading the man to end up in a publicly funded retirement home.
Nawrocki's shifting explanations raised questions about his transparency and credibility. After the scandal erupted, he donated the apartment to a charity.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
17 minutes ago
- India.com
Trump, Putin, Zelensky: A Secret Summit in the Making? Ceasefire Deadline, Backroom Talks And High-Stakes Power Plays
Washington: A top Kremlin adviser has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet in the coming days. The announcement adds momentum to ongoing diplomatic efforts, which are aimed at halting the war in Ukraine. Trump had earlier said that there was a strong possibility of an in-person meeting with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 'very soon' to explore ways to end the conflict. His self-imposed deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face broader sanctions is set to expire on Friday (August 8). This upcoming engagement between Trump and Putin follows the recent visit of U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow. He held talks with the Russian leader on Wednesday (August 6), marking his fifth trip to Russia. Previous visits had been met with optimism in Washington, though they yielded limited progress on peace negotiations. During a White House briefing on Wednesday night, Trump responded to questions about the possibility of a three-way summit involving Zelensky and Putin. He said there was a 'very good prospect' for such a meeting. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov highlighted that a trilateral summit had been mentioned in Moscow discussions earlier that day. Russian news agencies quoted him as saying the idea was received 'without comment'. Still, Ushakov confirmed that a location for the Trump-Putin meeting has been chosen, and logistical planning is already underway. Zelensky expressed openness to holding a summit and acknowledged that discussions have included 'two bilateral and one trilateral' formats. He stressed the importance of European involvement in any talks. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Zelensky said, 'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.' While no breakthrough has so far materialised, all parties appear to be working on details surrounding the potential summit. In a recent interview with the BBC, President Trump admitted that despite early optimism following Witkoff's visits, Putin had failed to deliver any concrete results. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the U.S. president struck a more measured tone. 'I don't call it a breakthrough... We have been working at this for a long time. There are thousands of young people dying... I am here to get the thing over with,' he said. Following Witkoff's latest meeting in Moscow, the Kremlin issued a short statement describing the talks as 'constructive' and confirmed that both sides exchanged 'signals'. Zelensky said he had spoken with President Trump about Witkoff's visit. European leaders also joined the call. The Ukrainian president has repeatedly stated that Russia would likely only move seriously toward peace if it begins to face economic constraints. As Friday's ceasefire deadline approaches, there is little public indication of a final settlement. Russia continues its large-scale aerial attacks on Ukrainian territory, even as the threat of increased U.S. sanctions looms. In a move highlighting rising global tensions, President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order placing a 25% tariff on Indian imports. The action came in response to New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil. Before taking office in January, Trump claimed he could end the war in Ukraine in just one day. However, the conflict has continued and his tone toward Moscow has grown increasingly firm. Previous rounds of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul did not bring the conflict closer to resolution. The war has now entered its fourth year, following Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022. Moscow has laid out several conditions for any peace deal. These include Ukraine adopting a neutral stance, scaling down its military and withdrawing its aspirations to join NATO. In addition, Russia seeks the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four partially occupied regions in the southeast, alongside the demobilisation of troops. Russia is also calling for international recognition of its control over Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea. Further demands include Ukraine banning military alliance memberships, shrinking its army, recognising Russian as an official language and lifting sanctions imposed on Moscow. The Kremlin has consistently declined Kyiv's proposals for a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin. On Tuesday, the U.S. government approved an additional $200 million in military aid to Ukraine. The new package includes support for drone production as part of ongoing efforts to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities.
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Narendra Modi and Donald Trump go head-to-head
Editor's note: On August 6th Donald Trump announced that the additional tariff he had threatened to impose on Indian goods would be 25%, bringing the total tariff rate to 50%. On August 4th Donald Trump took to Truth Social, his social-media platform, to berate India: because the country's 'massive' oil purchases fund 'the Russian War Machine', he said, it would suffer substantially steeper tariffs than the 25% the president slapped on the country last week. In some ways the president is not wrong: Russia supplied a negligible 0.2% of India's oil imports before the war in Ukraine. Since then, it has become India's biggest supplier, providing between 35% and 40%. But Mr Trump's anger also hints at his worsening relationship with Narendra Modi, India's prime minister. Months-long negotiations between the two countries towards a 'mini-deal' have shaved just a percentage point off the original threat of 26% tariffs on Indian exports to America. The levies, set to hit a week after a fiery executive order dated July 31st, do not yet include the Russia penalty. Previously, Mr Trump has complained about bilateral trade worth $190bn. India had hoped this would be a happy sign of ever closer ties. In Mr Trump's view, though, it is bad news: at almost $46bn, America runs a 'MASSIVE TRADE DEFICIT WITH INDIA!!!' Few in India seem in the mood for compromise. In a defiant public address on August 2nd Mr Modi avoided name-checking the American president but urged economic self-reliance at a time of global uncertainty. Anonymous Indian officials are briefing international media on India's right to Russian oil. America's negotiation team is expected in Delhi, as planned, for the sixth round of talks starting on August 25th. Even so, Ajit Doval, the national security adviser, is due to visit Moscow on August 5th. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's foreign minister, will reportedly follow later this month. This marks a striking change from Mr Trump's first term, when the American president and Indian prime minister filled stadiums from Texas to Gujarat in celebration of a blossoming bond between the two countries. India clinched deals for defence equipment and tech usually reserved for NATO allies and some exemptions from sanctions on its dealings with Russia. A mutual disquiet about China's rise lent the relationship urgency. As a result, India welcomed Mr Trump's comeback. According to a poll in 2024 by the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think-tank, 84% of Indians believed Mr Trump was good news for their own country—the highest among all 24 countries polled. But despite Mr Modi's outwardly friendly reception at the White House in February, one journalist briefed on the visit describes Indian diplomats as 'stunned' by the 'lack of respect' America's president showed India's prime minister behind closed doors. Mr Trump has demanded that India buy more American weapons. He used a military plane to deport illegal Indian migrants in handcuffs. Trade disputes between the two countries in Mr Trump's first term look like 'an early sign of the madness that was to come', concedes one former Indian ambassador. Economic assessments of the fallout from MAGA tariffs are shaky. India's Bank of Baroda thinks they may lop 0.2 percentage-points from the growth rate in the 2026 financial year—though the economy would still expand at around 6.5%. Indian jewellery and textiles would be among the sectors hardest hit, according to India's Axis Bank. Existing tariff exemptions for pharmaceuticals and electronics seem to have survived. As India is the world's largest generic-drugs exporter, this will be a relief. It is also experiencing an electronics-export boom. Trade experts assume that Apple will keep making most of its American-sold iPhones in India. However, companies may be wooed by lower tariffs elsewhere. India's big competitors—such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam—all ended up facing American tariffs of 19% to 20%. Even India's few reliably pro-American voices are losing faith. Mr Jaishankar, known for his patient decades-long campaign to corral sceptical compatriots into American arms, has mounted no recent defence of Mr Trump. Instead, on August 4th he said that: 'We live in complicated and uncertain times. Our collective desire is to see a fair and representative global order, not one dominated by a few.' A hawkish foreign-policy analyst now uses a term usually reserved for China, saying that India should 'de-risk' from America. Similarly, India's small club of free-market economists has stopped arguing for India to unilaterally lower its tariffs. One foreign-affairs insider describes how, under previous administrations, the view was that 'America cannot be trusted'. Now, she says, India 'will go back to thinking that way'. Stay on top of our India coverage by signing up to Essential India, our free weekly newsletter.
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
'You are buying oil from India': Senator Lindsey Graham's warning to 'European friends', 'We are watching'
Senator Lindsey Graham, who earlier threatened India with a 100% tariff, cheered over President Donald Trump's announcement of a 50% tariff on India and said Trump's decision will be a gamechanger and the countries buying Russian oil are about to pay a heavy price, long overdue. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But Graham also gave a threat to European countries that are helping Ukraine in the war against Russia but are procuring Russian oil through India. "To my European friends who have been helping Ukraine, it is much appreciated. However, it is not lost upon me or others that you are buying oil from India – that India originally purchased from Russia," the senator wrote on X. "We are watching. This needs to stop now," Lindsey Graham said. "Buying cheap Russian oil is not going to be as easy as it used to be. I completely understand and applaud President @realDonaldTrump 's decision to hit India with an additional 25 percent tariff on all their products coming into the United States because India insists on purchasing Putin's oil to prop up his war machine, allowing the bloodbath in Ukraine to continue," Graham wrote after Trump signed the executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on India. "President Trump has put the world on notice that if you continue to buy Putin's oil, you are no longer going to be allowed to have access to the American economy without substantial tariffs. To those who engage in this conduct, you have no one to blame but yourself. Well done, Mr. President. You are the strong and decisive leader the world has been waiting for to end this bloodbath in Ukraine," Graham said. Calling it a defining moment in the war, Lindsey Graham said Congress stands ready to help through US' sanctions on Russia. "When it comes to Putin's Russia: Don't Trust. Verify," he wrote.
