Latest news with #Sejm
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Donald Tusk seeks confidence vote after presidential election blow
Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, will ask for a vote of confidence in his centrist government after nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly won Sunday's presidential election. Mr Nawrocki's victory was a major blow to Mr Tusk, who had hoped Rafał Trzaskowski, his preferred candidate, would aid his liberal reform agenda and attempts to forge a leadership role for Poland in the EU. Instead, Mr Nawrocki is expected to block the government's progressive moves on abortion and LGBT rights and revive tensions with Brussels over rule-of-law issues such as the independence of the judiciary. 'I want everyone to see, including our opponents at home and abroad, that we are ready for this situation, that we understand the seriousness of the moment, but that we are not going to take a step back,' Mr Tusk said. Mr Tusk ousted the hard-Right and Eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) in a general election in October 2023 and set about repairing relations with Brussels, which had frozen EU funding to Poland. Now he is facing the prospect of a lame duck administration stymied by presidential vetoes before the next election, which must be held by November 2027. The vote is intended to show that his broad and unwieldy coalition remains united despite the presidential loss, which has led to predictions the government could fall and trigger fresh elections. But it is also a gamble that could backfire because not all the parties in Mr Tusk's liberal alliance may be willing to recommit to the government when it is so unpopular. Szymon Hołownia, the speaker of the Sejm – the Polish parliament's lower house – and a junior coalition partner, has hinted he and his 32 MPs might abstain from the 'theatrical' vote, which is expected to be held this week. 'The election result, as I've said many times, is a yellow card – maybe even a red one – for this government and this coalition,' he said before Mr Tusk's announcement, which followed talks among senior coalition figures. Mr Tusk said he expected a difficult relationship with the new president, who is armed with vetoes which can block his programme of reforms, but had an emergency plan. 'A contingency plan assuming a difficult cohabitation is prepared. It is difficult to assume in advance what the new president's attitude will be. If he shows a willingness to cooperate, it will be a positive surprise to which we will respond with complete openness,' he said. 'If not, there is no longer anything to wait for, we will set to work regardless of the circumstances, because that is what we were elected for.' He said the coalition would submit already has experience of dealing with a president trying to block changes in the outgoing Andrzej Duda of PiS. 'This plan will require unity and courage from the entire Coalition. The first test will be a vote of confidence, which I will ask the Sejm for in the near future,' he added. Nato meanwhile vowed to become 'even stronger' by working together with Poland's president-elect, despite fears his narrow election victory could sap Polish support for Ukraine. Mark Rutte, Nato secretary general, on Monday congratulated Mr Nawrocki, who is backed by the PiS and Donald Trump, the S president. He said they would work together to face down the threat from Russia and was looking forward to 'making sure that with Poland, Nato becomes even stronger than it is today'. Poland, which neighbours both Ukraine and Russia, has been one of Kyiv's strongest supporters since Russia's invasion in 2022. In March 2025, Poland was hosting 997,120 Ukrainian refugees, second only to Germany in the EU, but public opinion is hardening. Mr Nawrocki defeated Mr Trzaskowski, taking 50.89 per cent of the vote. During the campaign Mr Nawrocki stoked anti-Ukrainian sentiment and vowed to block Kyiv's efforts to join Nato and the EU. Like Mr Trump, Mr Nawrocki has accused Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's leader, of not being grateful enough for Polish help. There are concerns his influence could turn Poland from strong ally to conditional partner if the war drags on. His slender majority was secured thanks to far-Right voters backing the former historian and amateur boxer in the second round run-off. Polish far-Right leader Slawomir Mentzen congratulated Mr Nawrocki but told him to put Poland's interests before Ukraine's. Mr Mentzen is the leader of the Eurosceptic Confederation party, which is against abortion and migration. He scored nearly 15 per cent of votes in round one of the election and came in third. He took on the role of kingmaker and invited the run-off candidates to join him for separate interviews and to sign an eight-point pledge. Mr Nawrocki approved the declaration, pledging not to sign any legislation that would raise taxes, ratify Ukraine's potential Nato membership or limit free speech. The role of president is largely ceremonial but does have some influence over foreign and domestic policy. Mr Nawrocki is also poised to wield presidential vetoes on legislation to frustrate Mr Tusk's coalition government, which does not have a large enough majority to overturn them. 'I am more critical of Ukraine' than outgoing President Andrzej Duda, of PiS, Mr Nawrocki told Mr Mentzen at the time. The 42-year-old is not pro-Russian. As head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance, he oversaw the removal of Soviet-era Red Army monuments, prompting the Kremlin to place him on a 'wanted' list. But he has vowed to block Ukraine's bid to join the EU because of unresolved Second World War grievances such as a 1942 massacre of Poles by Ukrainian militias. Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, a long time PiS ally and Putin's closest friend in the bloc, has also vowed to veto Ukraine joining the EU and congratulated Mr Nawrocki on his 'nail-biter' of a victory on Monday. Mr Nawrocki won support from Polish farmers who claim they are being undercut by cheap Ukrainian food imports after the EU lifted tariffs after the invasion. Mr Tusk steered Poland back towards the EU after ousting the Eurosceptic PiS from power in 2023. Like France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Friedrich Merz, he believes that Europe can no longer rely on Washington for its security and wants to end over-reliance on the US. Poland, which has one of the fastest-growing EU economies, has pledged to raise defence spending to 4.7 per cent of GDP in 2025 and 5 per cent in 2026. That is not expected to change, with the US grateful for Poland leading the way in exceeding Nato defence spending targets. But Mr Nawrocki, who was recently welcomed at the White House by Mr Trump, will try to slow Poland moving closer to Europe. He has already renewed controversial calls for wartime reparations from Nato and EU ally Germany, when German and Polish defence cooperation is vital to secure Nato's northeastern flank. Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, deputy head of European Council for Foreign Relations, said Mr Tusk's prospects of re-election in 2027 had been damaged. 'As president, Nawrocki will elevate his anti-European, anti-German and anti-migration rhetoric in public discourse while intensifying the anti-Ukrainian sentiment that was exacerbated during the campaign,' she said. 'Ukraine policy will become the second major battleground after Europe.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
LeMonde
24-05-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
In Poland, parliament extends suspension of asylum rights at the Belarusian border
Despite criticism from NGOs and the Defender of Rights, Poland's centrist prime minister, Donald Tusk, did not back down. On Wednesday, May 21, the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, voted by an overwhelming majority to extend the suspension of the right to asylum at the Belarusian border. Introduced by a decree of the Council of Ministers in March, the measure, initially set for 60 days, can be renewed indefinitely with parliamentary approval. On Wednesday, Donald Tusk told lawmakers that he wanted to protect Poland from "a certain form of aggression" carried out by "smugglers and gangsters" working in concert with "Russia and Belarus." Since 2021, Minsk and Moscow have orchestrated a migration crisis at Poland's eastern border, which has persisted despite a decrease in intensity. In addition to diplomatic pressure, Warsaw built a 5.5-meter-high, 186-kilometer-long fence in 2022, which has since been continually reinforced with cameras, motion detectors, barbed wire and the presence of the army assisting border guards with patrols. However, the system was not completely watertight. The Polish Border Guard recorded nearly 30,000 attempts to cross the Belarusian border irregularly in 2024, including 300 in a single day on May 20.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Poland straddles a trans-Atlantic defense divide
WARSAW, Poland — The Polish government has reacted to the new foreign policy course in Washington by doubling down on its commitment to more defense cooperation with the United States. But while nods to Washington play an important role in Warsaw's discourse, Poland's authorities are also increasingly demonstrating willingness to tighten defense connections to key European allies. During his official visit to Poland in February, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the nation for its efforts to allocate 4.7% of GDP to its military, an unprecedented level in the nation's history. Hegseth called on other countries across the region to follow suit and bolster their defense budgets. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland's deputy prime minister and defense minister, reciprocated by vowing his nation is readying 'further acquisitions in the United States' for its armed forces, and discussing investments in joint ventures between the Polish and American defense industries that could involve ammunition production, among others. Alongside these declarations, however, Warsaw is hedging its options by deepening defense ties closer to home. Tomasz Smura, program director at the Warsaw-based Casimir Pulaski Foundation, told Defense News that the coming years are likely to bring more joint projects between Polish and European partners in the field of defense. 'Poland's relations with the United States are very close and good, and this is a constant trait of Warsaw's foreign policy that has remained unchanged for decades,' he said. 'However, Prime Minister Tusk signaled in his speech that, while making efforts to maintain these strong relations, Poland will also invest to reinforce the second pillar of the country's security which relies on cooperation with European partners.' Speaking at the Sejm, the parliament's lower chamber, on March 7, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his government recognizes the new administration in Washington is aligning its foreign policy towards Russia with new priorities. 'We are dealing with a deep adjustment of the American policy in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. We cannot get upset with the reality. Every country, and in particular a great power such as the United States, has the right and obligation to shape its foreign policy and its strategy,' Tusk said. 'But every country, including Poland … has the right and obligation to very honestly and precisely evaluate what is in our interest, what is in the interest of our security, and what can create a problem.' The prime minister said, 'Poland does not change its opinion on the necessity, which is absolutely fundamental, to maintain the tightest relations with the United States and the North Atlantic Pact.' At the same time, Tusk cited Warsaw's ongoing talks with Paris on involving Poland in France's nuclear deterrent program as an example of how a further defense rapprochement with key European partners can increase the nation's security. 'We are holding serious talks with the French on the idea of a nuclear umbrella over Europe. It is high time for Poland, using the resources that it has and also its own experiences … to look with more courage at the most modern weapons,' the prime minister said. 'Purchases of conventional weapons, the traditional weapons, will not suffice.' Tusk's comment came in response to French President Emmanuel Macron's recent statement that his country is considering to extend its nuclear arsenal's coverage over European allies. Alongside these discussions, Polish President Andrzej Duda has called on the US to deploy nuclear weapons to his country as a deterrent to Russia. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has boosted efforts to expand and modernize its military. This year, the Polish cabinet aims to allocate a total of PLN 186.6 billion ($48.5 billion) to defense. A large share of the country's defense expenditure finances major purchases of weapons from the US, including the ongoing programs to acquire F-35 fighters jets, Boeing AH-64D copters, M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 tanks, and Patriot air defense batteries, among others. At the same time, the Polish government has declared its willingness to participate in the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative, a continent-wide project to coordinate countries' air defense-related purchases and procedures. Last year, Poland's state-run defense group, PGZ, expressed interest in joining a program supported by the European Defence Fund (EDF) to create a new main battle tank. Concerned that Moscow's talks with Washington could impact on US military presence in Poland, Warsaw is also seeking stronger defense ties with European allies such as Germany, France and the U.K. Poland's authorities are aware that, as the U.S. is gradually withdrawing from supporting Ukraine militarily, Europe will need to largely take over the effort, according to Smura. 'As the Polish government accepts that Ukraine's accession to NATO is no longer viable, this topic will be shelved, and Poland will shift its dialog with the United States to an approach anchored in more realism,' he said.
Euronews
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Poland says it plans to give every adult male military training
In a statement to parliament on Friday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk shared his plan as part of a wider effort to create a 500,000-strong army to deter Russian aggression. ADVERTISEMENT Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced that Poland plans to provide military training to "every adult male" in the face of ongoing security threats. In a statement to the Sejm - Poland's parliament - on Friday, Tusk shared his plan as part of a wider effort to create a 500,000-strong army to deter Russian aggression. "Work is underway to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in Poland ... that will help make those who do not go into the army into full-fledged and full-fledged soldiers during a conflict," he said. "We will try to have a model ready by the end of the year so that every adult male in Poland is trained for war," Tusk announced. According to the latest figures from last year, the Polish army numbered 200,000 soldiers, with a goal of increasing to 300,000 members. Now, with declining support from the United States, Poland's key military ally, the country, like many others in Europe, has placed even greater emphasis on readjusting its security and defence priorities. "Today, the situation of Poland, objectively and the situation of Ukraine above all, is more difficult than it was a few months ago and we have to deal with this fact," Tusk stressed. He added that "hard security guarantees" from the US for Ukraine seem "less likely today than before". Premier Donald Tusk przemawia w Sejmie. Czarek Sokolowski/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved "This is a race for security". Many European countries are trying to reaffirm their common position on Ukraine and change their security priorities. The Prime Minister said he had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of obtaining protection under the French nuclear umbrella. Citing the example of Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia after it gave up its nuclear weapons, Tusk stressed that Poland could consider nuclear "options." "We must be aware that Poland must reach for state-of-the-art capabilities also related to nuclear weapons and modern unconventional weapons (...) this is a race for security, not for war," Tusk said in his speech. Emmanuel Macron i Donald Tusk. Aurelien Morissard/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved. Poland, Lithuania and Finland scale up training Poland has been a close ally of Ukraine, with which it shares a border, since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Despite Tusk's statement that he would not send troops to Ukraine, Poland has increased its own security budget over the past few years. Poland is now the largest contributor to NATO. In 2024, it allocated 4.2 per cent of its GDP to defence. This year, this figure is expected to rise to 4.7 per cent. Poland also has the largest army in Europe and the third largest army in NATO, after the United States and Turkey. ADVERTISEMENT By proposing a military service plan, Poland would join other countries such as Switzerland, Finland and Lithuania, which have their own plans to increase military training. In Lithuania, which borders both Russia and its close ally Belarus, almost 3,900 male adults between 18 and 23 are conscripted for nine months each year at the moment. However the government is considering conscripting women too. Poland, Finland and Lithuania are also considering withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel mines. Członkowie armii litewskiej biorą udział w uroczystości upamiętniającej 106. rocznicę powstania armii litewskiej. Mindaugas Kulbis/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved. "Every adult male" Although the details of Tusk's plan have not yet been revealed, he has stated that "every adult male" will undergo military training. ADVERTISEMENT As for Polish women, they will be allowed to join, but on a voluntary basis. "It is well known - war is still, however, to a greater extent the domain of men," he added. According to the report 'Women in the military, peacekeeping and peace-making' published by the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS), only 11 of the EU 27 states, including Poland, Finland and Lithuania, allow women to serve in frontline positions. While security talks between European leaders are set to continue in the future, Tusk hopes that his proposal will effectively cement not only Polish but also European security. ADVERTISEMENT "Poland's task is to guard its eastern border, which is also the border of NATO and the European Union," he said.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Poland to introduce large-scale military training for all adult males, PM Tusk announces
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans on March 7 to implement large-scale military training for all adult men to strengthen the country's reserve forces. In a speech to the Sejm, Poland's parliament, he noted that this initiative was in response to growing security threats from Russia. 'If Ukraine loses the war or if it accepts the terms of peace, armistice, or capitulation in such a way that weakens its sovereignty and makes it easier for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to gain control over Ukraine, then, without a doubt — and we can all agree on that — Poland will find itself in a much more difficult geopolitical situation,' Tusk said. He also said that he would like to increase the size of the Polish army from the current amount of 200,000 soldiers to 500,000, noting that Russia's army has around 1.3 million soldiers and Ukraine's has around 800,000. "We will try to have a model ready by the end of this year so that every adult male in Poland is trained in the event of war, so that this reserve is comparable and adequate to the potential threats." Poland has been a key ally of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, providing extensive military aid, including tanks, heavy equipment, and ammunition. Read also: Ukraine signs LNG deal with Poland's Orlen amid Russian attacks We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
