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Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Polish President Nawrocki invited to White House in September
Poland's new right-wing President Karol Nawrocki has received an invitation to meet US President Donald Trump during a working visit to the White House next month, Nawrocki's office announced on Saturday. The invitation was issued along with Trump's message of congratulation on the occasion of Nawrocki's inauguration on Wednesday, it said. Nawrocki, a right-wing conservative and political opponent of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is an outspoken Trump admirer. The 42-year-old historian is officially independent but is seen as close to the nationalist Law and Justice Party (PiS). He emerged victorious in the second round of the presidential election at the beginning of June. Trump received Nawrocki, a novice on the world stage, in May during the Polish election campaign, with the White House publishing a photo showing the two men in the Oval Office making a thumbs-up sign. The visit and photo were seen as boosting Nawrocki's chances.
Qatar Tribune
09-08-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
New Polish president invited to White House in September
dpa Warsaw Poland's new right-wing President Karol Nawrocki has received an invitation to meet US President Donald Trump during a working visit to the White House next month, Nawrocki's office announced on Saturday. The invitation was issued along with Trump's message of congratulation on the occasion of Nawrocki's inauguration on Wednesday, it said. Nawrocki, a right-wing conservative and political opponent of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is an outspoken Trump admirer. The 42-year-old historian is officially independent but is seen as close to the nationalist Law and Justice Party (PiS). He emerged victorious in the second round of the presidential election at the beginning of June. Trump received Nawrocki, a novice on the world stage, in May during the Polish election campaign, with the White House publishing a photo showing the two men in the Oval Office making a thumbs-up sign. The visit and photo were seen as boosting Nawrocki's chances.
Time Magazine
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
How Poland's Next President Will Boost the Far Right
The presidential election in Poland delivered the latest anti-incumbent surprise in what has been a tough period for establishment candidates the world over. The right-wing populist Karol Nawrocki, a historian with no political experience, won a narrow victory in a June 1 run-off vote over a candidate aligned with the centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his plans for closer European integration. Nawrocki will take office on Aug. 6. Tusk must now buckle up for a bumpy ride. With a presidential veto, Nawrocki will halt Tusk's bid to liberalize abortion law and to overhaul a courts system packed with judges politically aligned with the previous far-right government led by the Law and Justice Party (PiS), a change demanded by the European Union. But Nawrocki won't just block Tusk's reform plans. He'll also work to exploit potential divisions within Tusk's four-party governing coalition, particularly among lawmakers in the conservative Polish People's Party, still the weakest link in Tusk's alliance. Read More: Polish Women Fight Back Against Restrictive Abortion Laws In fact, the one-point presidential election loss for his ally Rafal Trzaskowski leaves Prime Minister Tusk as a lame duck, and it underlines the growing frustration of many Poles with a rising cost of living and the now long-term presence of up to 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees across the country. While support for Ukraine's defense and fear and loathing of Russia span most of Poland's political spectrum, a sluggish economy leaves many feeling Ukrainians should return home. A recent survery by Poland's Centre for Public Opinion Research found that support for accepting Ukrainian refugees dropped from 81% in early 2023 to just 50% in March. Nawrocki's ability to block Tusk's agenda will leave more voters fed up with Tusk's government, boosting right and far-right parties ahead of parliamentary elections in 2027. It hasn't been all bad news for Tusk. He comfortably survived a no-confidence vote on June 11. He'll now make changes to the government itself, and focus only on the more broadly popular policies. Tusk will likely downsize the number of ministries, particularly for economic management, and placate key coalition partners with important new jobs. His government will prioritize social policies and new subsidies to take some of the edge off voters anxieties over Poland's economy, push plans to make housing more affordable, and avoid policies they know the new President will veto. Tusk's party will also try to undercut the right's hold on anti-immigration sentiment by focusing on border protection tougher laws. Even before the election, Tusk pushed through a temporary suspension of the right to asylum, bringing his government closer to the anti-immigrant positions of the far-right. But these are coping tactics, not a roadmap to winning the next elections. Its political base expects Tusk's Civic Platform party to loosen abortion restrictions. (Since 2021, Polish law permit abortion only in cases of rape, incest, or the serious threat to a woman's life or health.) His supporters also want him to restore rule of law in the country after the previous PiS government undermined the independence of some of Poland's political institutions. But 'elections have consequences,' as Dick Cheney, the U.S. Vice President now in the political wilderness, once said. Nawrocki will use the powers of the presidency to undermine Tusk on the European stage. He can't make foreign or security policy, but he can use his political alignment with Donald Trump and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as well as criticism of E.U. conformity, to remind leaders across Europe that Poland remains a polarized place and a shaky long-term bet for closer alignment with the bloc's policies and political values. In particular, support for neighboring Ukraine and its European aspirations will face new hurdles. Though Nawrocki supports Ukraine's war effort, he opposes E.U. and NATO membership for Ukraine and will push for cuts to benefits to Ukrainian refugees still in Poland. The new President won't have the power to create policy himself, but his willingness to criticize increasingly unpopular pro-Ukraine measures will make life much more difficult—for Ukrainians and for Tusk.
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Polarised Poland: On politics, the Presidential election results
When Donald Tusk's diverse coalition came to power in Poland in 2023, ending the eight-year rule of the right-wing Law and Justice Party (PiS), the veteran centrist promised 'to chase away the darkness'. Two years on, with the Tusk government still struggling to deliver on key reforms, Polish voters have elected a conservative backed by PiS as the country's next President. Karol Nawrocki, a 42-year-old historian and former boxer with little political experience, won the June 1 presidential run-off with 50.89% votes, narrowly defeating the liberal Mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, who secured 49.11%. Mr. Nawrocki, endorsed by Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, presented himself as an outsider populist, and promised a 'Poland first' approach that echoed Trumpian rhetoric. During its rule (2015–23), the PiS had implemented sweeping reforms that were aimed at tightening its control over state institutions and media, and recasting the Polish society along its ideological lines. It curbed abortion rights, overhauled education and filled the judiciary with party loyalists, often clashing with the European Union. Mr. Tusk attempted to roll back some of these measures, but met with strong opposition from the outgoing President, Andrzej Duda, also a PiS ally. As legislative logjam derailed Mr. Tusk's reform agenda, Mr. Nawrocki capitalised on public resentment, attacking the Polish establishment and Brussels. While Poland's presidency is largely ceremonial, Mr. Nawrocki's victory could significantly impact its politics. First, the President can veto laws passed by Parliament or send them to the constitutional court, now packed with judges appointed by the PiS government. In a post-election rally, Mr. Nawrocki said the Tusk government was trying to achieve a 'monopoly' of power and vowed to prevent it, in a sign of what is to come. As the government does not have the three-fifths majority in Parliament to override presidential vetoes, Mr. Tusk could face further gridlock. Second, Mr. Nawrocki's victory is a morale boost for Poland's Eurosceptic right and may strengthen the alliance between the populist movements across the Atlantic. Despite his campaign rhetoric to oppose Ukraine joining NATO, he is unlikely to change Poland's foreign policy core — be it its political and security alliance with the West or its opposition to Russia. But on social and economic policies, he is likely to follow the PiS's right-wing conservatism. Third, the election result could exacerbate internal tensions within Mr. Tusk's ideologically broad coalition which threaten to reduce Mr. Tusk to being a lame duck Prime Minister. All this points to a turbulent phase for Poland, where a politically polarised and socially divided nation braces for a prolonged tug of war between the pro-European centrists and ascendant populist conservatives.
Indian Express
04-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
How Poland's new conservative President, a Trump ally, may upend its EU relations
Karol Nawrocki, a 42-year-old historian and political newcomer, narrowly won Poland's presidency on Monday (June 2). Backed by the nationalist-conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS), he defeated centrist rival Rafał Trzaskowski, with 50.89 per cent of the vote in Sunday's runoff election. An amateur boxer and former football hooligan, Nawrocki ran his campaign on a 'Poland First, Poles First' platform. He was endorsed by US President Donald Trump, with whom he shares many views. Nawrocki's victory signals a PiS resurgence and will put the Eurosceptic president at odds with the pro-Europe government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk of the centrist Civic Platform. For the past 18 months, Tusk's government has sought to reverse judicial reforms instituted by the previous PiS government but has faced resistance from outgoing president, Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally. In anticipation of the trend, Tusk announced on Monday that a confidence vote in his government will be held on June 11 to boost support for his coalition government. A populist at heart, Nawrocki, a relatively unknown face before the elections, was positioned as a 'people's candidate' by the PiS. The party announced him as an 'independent candidate' to distance him from the allegations of corruption and breach of law that led to the end of PiS's eight-year rule in 2023. He maintains a tough-guy image, admitting to taking part in a pre-arranged brawl between football teams. He has posted pictures of himself in the gym, firing a gun and riding a tractor. He also emphasises his family and Christian values. His wife, Marta Nawrocka, and their children, Daniel, Antoni and Katarzyna, featured heavily in his campaign. Born in the port city of Gdansk, Nawrocki comes from humble beginnings. He holds a PhD in humanities and currently heads the Institute of National Remembrance, a government agency that researches modern Polish history and investigates crimes under the Nazi occupation and the Communist period. Ties to Trump and 'Poland First' agenda Nawrocki's campaign gained a major boost from his close association with Donald Trump. Notably, Poland and the US are close allies, with 10,000 US troops stationed in Poland. However, Prime Minister Tusk has long maintained an animosity towards Trump. Both Nawrocki and Trump have publicly praised each other, and in May, Nawrocki visited the Oval Office for a photo-op with Trump during his campaign. When Nawrocki won the elections, Trump posted on his social media platform: 'TRUMP ALLY WINS IN POLAND, SHOCKING ALL IN EUROPE. NewsMax. Congratulations Poland, you picked a WINNER!' Thanking the President, Nawrocki said, 'Strong alliance with the USA, as well as partnership based on close cooperation are my top priorities.' Nawrocki has invoked the slogan 'Poland First' along the campaign trail to express his concerns on the cost of living, migration, and security. 'Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first,' he posted on his social media in April. Much like Trump, Nawrocki holds anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigration views. He has said that he would oppose the imposition of the EU's climate (aimed at decarbonisation) and migration policies. Euroscepticism and perceived EU overreach Responding to a congratulatory message from European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, Nawrocki called for 'respect for national sovereignty'. Nawrocki's victory has added to the list of Eurosceptic leaders, including Hungary's Viktor Orban, Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Slovakia's Robert Fico. They view the EU's policies as undermining their own government decisions. Nawrocki's rise to power comes after the recent election of a liberal mayor as Romania's president, a result pro-European leaders had hoped signalled the ebbing of the far-right tide in central Europe. Nawrocki and the PiS diverge with the EU on key issues surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Given Poland's own troubled history with Russia, Nawrocki has maintained his support for Ukraine but has opposed Kyiv's entry into alliances such as the European Union (EU) or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). He has also spoken of the public's growing weariness with Ukrainian refugees who have added to Warsaw's costs. Nawrocki has also criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for treating Poland 'badly', echoing Trump's remarks. Challenges for the Tusk government Nawrocki's Euroscepticism threatens to hinder Poland's access to crucial EU funds. The Tusk government had pledged to reverse the controversial judicial regime from the PiS era, prompting the EU to unlock €137 billion in funding. A significant chunk of this has already been disbursed, but future cooperation may falter if Nawrocki blocks Tusk's overhauling of judicial reforms. While Nawrocki has limited executive powers, he holds a crucial right to veto legislation, spelling trouble for the Tusk government. The Tusk coalition itself has struggled to push through key electoral promises, including fewer restrictions on abortion and a civil union law for same-sex couples. Despite having a parliamentary majority, the coalition government does not have enough numbers to override the President's veto, triggering fears of a political gridlock. Aligning with Polish farmers, Nawrocki may block the Tusk government's trade deal with South American nations over concerns about cheap agricultural imports. He has also pledged to hold a referendum on the European Green Deal, which faces strong opposition from farmers, coal workers, and the automotive industry. Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
