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Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Poland's Tusk seeks fresh start after presidential election blow
WARSAW, June 11 (Reuters) - A vote of confidence in Poland's government will take place on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Donald Tusk seeks to regain the initiative for his ruling pro-European coalition after it was shaken by a presidential election defeat. Rafal Trzaskowski from Tusk's Civic Coalition was defeated by nationalist Karol Nawrocki in the June 1 ballot, unleashing recriminations from smaller partners in government and casting doubt over the administration's future when a hostile president wields the power of veto. While the ruling alliance's majority means it is almost certain to win Wednesday's vote, a SW Research poll for Rzeczpospolita daily showed that around a third of Poles thought Tusk's government would not survive until the end of its term in 2027. Tusk will present his government's plan of action to parliament. A debate will then take place before the vote is held in the afternoon. Analysts say that many voters are disillusioned with the government's failure to deliver on promises including liberalising abortion laws, reforming the judiciary and raising the tax-free limit. President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the nationalist Law and Justice party, known as PiS, that backed Nawrocki, has stymied elements of the government's programme that aim to roll back PiS reforms that the European Union said undermined judicial independence. The government had hoped for a Trzaskowski victory that would give it the freedom to fully implement its agenda. Critics say that since it took office in December 2023, Tusk's government has done too little to implement change, with initiatives put on hold in the ultimately futile hope that a sympathetic president would be elected. It was against this background, and with voices in smaller coalition parties and normally sympathetic media outlets raising questions about his leadership, that Tusk called the vote of confidence. "This vote of confidence is not an attempt to continue everything we have been doing because we know well after this year and a half that some things can be done better, faster and this vote of confidence should be a new beginning," he told a government meeting. "I would like you to know that for the entire... coalition, this is to be a day of new momentum and I am convinced that you will live up to this task." After the vote of confidence, Tusk has said there will be a government reshuffle, which is likely to be in July. Meanwhile, members of the administration say that their coalition agreement will also need to be renegotiated, a process that could lead to conflict. PiS has relished the situation. Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski proposed that a "technical government" made up of experts should be put in place immediately to restore calm. Former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, the architect of the judicial reforms Tusk's government has sought to overhaul, was more direct. "The lost presidential election is the end of Donald Tusk," he told reporters. "His fate is already sealed."
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Polish presidential election too close to call, exit poll suggests
Warsaw's liberal Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski has claimed victory in Poland's presidential election but his winning margin in an exit poll is well within the margin of error. An exit poll, with a margin of error of 3% broadcast immediately after voting ended, indicates Trzaskowski winning on 50.3%, marginally ahead of his rival, conservative historian Karol Nawrocki on 49.7%. The official result is due to be published on Monday morning, the head of the state electoral commission said. Trzaskowski claimed victory in front of cheering supporters in Warsaw. "We won," he said. "We won, although the phrase 'razor's edge' will forever enter the Polish language and politics," he added. His wife, Malgorzata, jokingly told the crowd, "I'm close to having a heart attack". Trzaskowski promised to reach out to voters who supported his opponent. I will be a president for all Polish women and men," he said. Nawrocki told his supporters that the result is too close to call. "Let's not lose hope for this night. We will win during the night, the difference is minimal. I believe that we will wake up tomorrow with President Karol Nawrocki," he said. Poland's president is a largely ceremonial role with limited influence on foreign policy and defence, but they can veto legislation and Donald Tusk's pro-EU coalition government lacks a big enough parliamentary majority to overturn it. The current conservative incumbent president, Andrzej Duda, has used his powers to prevent Prime Minister Tusk delivering key campaign promises including removing political influence from the judiciary and liberalising the country's strict abortion law. If Trzaskowski's victory is confirmed that obstacle would be removed and would allow Tusk to cement Poland's place in the European mainstream. However, Tusk also faces opposition from within his own coalition from the conservative Peoples' Party on issues including abortion and legalising civil partnerships. A victory for national conservative Karol Nawrocki, who is supported by opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, would mean continued conflict between the government and president. It would also re-energise PiS, which lost power 18 months ago, giving the party the belief that it can go on to win parliamentary elections in 2027. Both candidates support continued assistance for neighbouring Ukraine, although Nawrocki has said he opposes its entry into Nato and the EU for now while Russia continues its war of aggression. Both men differ over their approach to the EU. Trzaskowski, a former Europe minister, supports Tusk's vision of a Poland at the heart of the European mainstream, influencing decisions through strong relations with Germany and France. A deputy leader of Tusk's Civic Platform, he has served as Warsaw mayor since 2018. He's the son of a famous Polish jazz pianist, speaks several languages and is viewed by some voters as a member of the country's liberal elite who is out of touch with ordinary Poles. According to the CBOS polling company, Trzaskowski's typical voter is aged 30-40 years old, is relatively well off with left-liberal views and is open to LGBTQ+ and migrants' rights. They tend to live in large cities and have positive views of the EU. Some voters said he tried to "artificially" present himself as a candidate who values patriotism. During the campaign, he has taken a much tougher line against illegal migration, something Tusk started to do before winning power in 2023 and he has volunteered to do basic military training. Nawrocki, 42, supports a strong sovereign Poland and does not want the country to cede any more powers to Brussels. He opposes the EU's climate and migration policies. He's a conservative Catholic that prioritises traditional family values. He was relatively unknown nationally before he was selected by opposition party PiS to be their "unofficial" candidate. A keen amateur boxer and footballer, he often posted images of himself working out, allowing PiS to present him as a strong candidate who would stand up for ordinary Poles and the country's national interests. A fan of President Donald Trump, he flew to Washington during the campaign for an extremely brief meeting to get a thumbs-up photo of himself with the American president in the Oval Office. During the campaign he was attacked by the government and media for being morally unfit to be the country's president, but the allegations did not diminish his support during the last week of campaigning. During a presidential debate, Nawrocki said that he, like most Poles, owned one apartment. That turned out to be a lie. Nawrocki was accused of taking advantage of a vulnerable senior citizen to acquire his council flat at a huge discount in exchange for promises of care that were unfulfilled. Following the scandal, Nawrocki said he would donate the flat to charity but always denied the accusation. Polish news website accused Nawrocki of helping to arrange sex workers for guests at the luxury Grand Hotel in the Baltic seaside resort of Sopot when he worked there as a security guard. The story was based on anonymous sources, but said the witnesses had sworn they would repeat the allegations under oath in court. Nawrocki called the story a pack of lies and said he would sue the website. His opponents portrayed him as a football hooligan who admired gangsters and neo-Nazi ultras. Nawrocki did not deny taking part in hooligan brawls as a younger man, calling them "noble fights". He has also said these allegations were an attempt to smear his reputation. Some Nawrocki voters told me they did not believe certain stories about him, saying they were inventions of the mainstream Trzaskowski-supporting media. Polish knife-edge presidential vote pits liberal mayor against conservative Warsaw's liberal mayor narrowly wins Polish presidential vote Polish voters set for tight presidential race after 10 years of Duda
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Poland presidential debate puts Ukraine and Europe centre stage
Polish presidential candidates offered different visions of Poland and its relations with Ukraine in a televised debate ahead of next week's run-off, which remains on a knife-edge. During a head-to-head debate lasting two hours, the centrist Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, from prime minister Donald Tusk's governing pro-European coalition, faced the Eurosceptic historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the populist rightwing Law and Justice party (PiS). The two candidates – who qualified for the second round after coming in the top two places in the first vote last Sunday – clashed over Poland's relations with Ukraine, EU policy, and the track records of their respective parties, which have dominated Polish politics since 2005. Nawrocki – a conservative historian who it was revealed this week had been involved in organised fights between groups of football hooligans in his youth – characterised the election as a referendum on an unpopular coalition government led by Tusk, repeatedly dismissing his rival as 'Tusk's deputy'. The government came to power in late 2023 promising to undo illiberal reforms by rightwing predecessors and liberalise laws on abortion and LGBTQ rights, but has made little progress, fearing a veto from the outgoing conservative president, Andrzej Duda. The issue has loomed over the presidential election, turning the ballot into a question of whether voters want to carry through with the political overhaul or prefer an opposition president to keep the government in check – even at the cost of political paralysis. Trzaskowski challenged Nawrocki's attempts to paint himself as an independent candidate despite being supported by PiS, which ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023. 'You say you're not from PiS, but people from PiS pay for your campaign, organise it and lead it … There is an English saying: if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck,' he said. During tense exchanges on Friday night, both candidates agreed on the need to support Ukraine militarily in its fight against Russia. But they clashed over other elements of the relationship, including Ukraine's future Nato membership and the controversy over the import of cheaper agricultural goods, which has led to anti-Ukrainian protests by Polish farmers. Courting the rightwing voters of two far-right candidates who came third and fourth, Nawrocki already said this week that he would block Ukraine's accession to Nato. On Friday, he repeated his criticism of the farming arrangements. 'As a president, I will do everything to really support [Ukraine] militarily … but I will not let [them] make Poland an auxiliary enterprise.' Trzaskowski, a former EU lawmaker and junior minister, attacked him for 'speaking the language that favours Putin', also citing his rival's criticism of EU plans to boost member states' militaries. 'We need to be tough with Ukrainians, protect Polish interests … but help Ukraine, because Putin has to break all his teeth in Ukraine and not attack anyone else,' Trzaskowski said. Just over a week before the vote, the candidates remained virtually level, with individual polls showing narrow leads both ways within the margin of error. Experts said voter mobilisation – with turnout already at a record high in the first round – could play a decisive role in deciding the outcome. On Sunday, both candidates will lead rival marches across Warsaw, symbolically starting simultaneously on parallel streets but going in opposite directions.
Bloomberg
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Tusk Faces Crunch Two Weeks to Fend Off Poland's Nationalists
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his allies have less than two weeks to convince voters to stick with their ruling coalition after a surge in support for nationalists in a presidential election. In what's turned into a referendum on the government's 18 months in power, Tusk ally Rafal Trzaskowski will face Law & Justice opponent Karol Nawrocki in a runoff on June 1. After Sunday's first round, Trzaskowski led Nawrocki by less than two percentage points, a far narrower gap that polls had predicted.
