Latest news with #TuskGovernment
Reuters
03-06-2025
- General
- Reuters
Polish parliament speaker says confidence vote should be next week
WARSAW, June 3 (Reuters) - Polish Parliament Speaker Szymon Holownia proposed on Tuesday that a vote of confidence in the government should take place in a week at an additional session of parliament. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday he would call for a parliamentary vote of confidence in his coalition government, after his candidate, Rafal Trzaskowski, lost a presidential election on Sunday. "We are hearing information that it should be soon. I convinced the Prime Minister that we should wait with this for a while," Holownia told journalists. "I suggested to the Prime Minister that the motion be submitted this week so that we can discuss it at an additional session on Tuesday." Nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly won Poland's presidential election, delivering a blow to the centrist government's efforts to cement Warsaw's pro-European orientation.
Japan Times
03-06-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Tusk calls confidence vote after nationalist wins Polish presidential election
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called Monday for a parliamentary confidence vote in a bid to demonstrate continuing support for his pro-EU government, after nationalist Karol Nawrocki won the presidential election. European far-right leaders welcomed the election of the 42-year-old Nawrocki, a fan of U.S. President Donald Trump who has said he will oppose the government's progressive agenda on abortion and LGBTQ rights. He won Sunday's runoff in the highly polarized EU and NATO member state with 51% of the vote to 49% for Tusk's liberal ally Rafal Trzaskowski. In a televised address, former EU chief Tusk said he wanted the confidence vote "soon" and vowed to stay on, adding that the election "will not change anything." His comments came shortly after opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski of the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party said that Poles had shown him the "red card." Kacynski called for a "technical" government of experts to replace the current one. Nawrocki said on X that he wanted Poland to be "a state that matters in international, European and transatlantic relations. "I will represent you with dignity on the international state, ensuring Poland is treated as an equal," he wrote. Nawrocki could revive tensions with Brussels over rule-of-law issues and complicate ties with Ukraine as he opposes NATO membership for the war-torn country and wants to cut benefits for Ukrainian refugees. "Nawrocki's presidency will be a rough ride for the Tusk government," said analyst Piotr Buras, adding that the president-elect "wants to overthrow" Tusk. He said the election result could lead to "early parliamentary elections, maybe not this year, but next" year. Reforms planned by Tusk, who came to power in 2023, have been held up by a deadlock with the current president, who endorsed Nawrocki. There have also been divisions in his governing coalition, which analysts said could be exacerbated by the election result. Polish presidents hold a crucial veto power over legislation. 'Share common values' Nationalist leaders rushed to congratulate Nawrocki. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed his fellow nationalist's "fantastic victory," writing on X: "We are looking forward to working with you." French far-right leader Marine Le Pen also welcomed the "good news," while Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered "best wishes" to Nawrocki and said their countries "share common values." Other EU leaders gave a more measured response. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "confident" that "very good cooperation" would continue with Warsaw. French President Emmanuel Macron urged Nawrocki to work towards "a strong, independent and competitive Europe that respects the rule of law." In his congratulatory statement late Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: "The Polish people have spoken and support a stronger military and securing their borders." 'They'll block everything' Many Nawrocki supporters said they hoped the new president would help curb immigration and advocate for more sovereignty for Poland within the European Union. During the campaign, he also tapped into growing resentment against the estimated 1 million Ukrainian refugees living in Poland. Nawrocki used his last campaign hours to leave flowers at a monument to Poles killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II. Trzaskowski voter Zdzislaw Brojek said he expected "chaos" under the new president, who he claimed would do the PiS party's bidding. "They'll block laws, they'll block everything," the 65-year-old gardener said in Warsaw. Tomasz Szypula, 45, a campaigner, said the outcome "pushes back the prospect of any positive change for LGBTQ people for another five years" — the duration of presidential terms in Poland. He called the realization "devastating." Nawrocki opposes same-sex unions and said in April that "the LGBT community cannot count on me to address their issues." He also opposes any easing of Poland's near-total ban on abortion, declaring that he was "in favor of protecting life." Nawrocki's campaign was overshadowed at times by controversies over a murky apartment purchase and his football hooligan past. An amateur boxer, Nawrocki also denied media reports that he had procured sex workers while working as a hotel security guard.
Telegraph
02-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
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. End over-reliance on the US 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.'
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Donald Tusk will call vote of confidence after Polish election setback
Donald Tusk says he will call a vote of confidence in his government to try to shore up support for his coalition after a bruising setback in Poland's presidential election. In his first public comments since Sunday's election result was declared, the prime minister sought to regain momentum as he promised to 'get to work' and submit a number of draft laws. Congratulating the rightwing opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki's supporters on his win, Tusk said late on Monday the government had a 'contingency plan' and vowed to 'not stop even for a moment' and double down on his legislative agenda. In a televised prime-time statement, he said he wanted 'everyone, including our opponents at home and abroad, to see … we understand the gravity of the moment, but will not back down a single step'. He said he would seek a parliamentary vote to confirm his majority. The dramatic move highlights the government's difficult position as it comes to terms with the consequences of losing the race for the presidency. Tusk leads an ideologically diverse and politically fragile alliance of pro-European parties, from agrarian right to social democratic left, which promised to reverse the erosion of democratic checks and balances that had marked the eight-year rule of the Law and Justice party (PiS). After 18 months of difficult cohabitation with the outgoing president and PiS ally, Andrzej Duda, the government had hoped Rafał Trzaskowski, a pro-European Warsaw mayor, would win the election and lift the threat of a presidential veto on progressive legislation. But Sunday's defeat will make it very difficult for the government to deliver on its promises, extending the political stalemate. Nawrocki, who received public backing from senior members of the Trump administration, is fiercely critical of the EU and likely to ally himself wherever he can with other Eurosceptic leaders such as Hungary's Viktor Orbán. This risks divisions within the bloc at a time when it faces major challenges, including US tariffs and the war in Ukraine. While the role of president is largely ceremonial, with some influence over foreign and defence policy, it carries the critical power to veto laws, which can be overturned only with a 60% majority in parliament, which Tusk's coalition does not have. No date for the vote of confidence has been set, but it could take place as early as this week because parliament is scheduled to sit on Tuesday and Wednesday. Unless there is a rebellion, the ruling coalition has enough votes in parliament to win. A clear win would also quash any talk about a potential alternative majority emerging on the right should some government MPs defect to the opposition camp. Sign up to Headlines Europe A digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day after newsletter promotion Speaking just minutes before Tusk, PiS leader and former prime minister Jarosław Kaczyński argued the election result amounted to 'a red card' for the government, urging the prime minister to resign. In a thinly veiled invitation to other parties to explore an alternative majority, he called for a 'technical government' to replace the current administration, conceding that it could even be led by a prime minister who 'would not necessarily have any ties to us.'. Seeking to undermine the coalition, he stressed the government could enjoy friendly relations with the new president and could 'restore calm in Poland, ease tensions, and improve the situation across all key areas of our social life'. On Sunday, a senior PiS lawmaker, Przemysław Czarnek, suggested his party could soon start trying to pick off members of Tusk's broad and already fractured coalition, with the aim of creating a rightwing majority in parliament. 'I can reassure you that maybe not starting tomorrow, but from Tuesday, we will begin very energetic work in order to give the Polish people another gift – the end of Tusk's government,' Czarnek said.
Reuters
02-06-2025
- General
- Reuters
Polish PM Tusk to call for vote of confidence in government
WARSAW, June 2 (Reuters) - Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk will call for a parliamentary vote of confidence in his coalition government, after his candidate, Rafal Trzaskowski, lost the presidential election on Sunday. "The first test will be a vote of confidence, which I will ask in the Parliament soon," Tusk said on Monday in a televised speech. "I want everyone to see, including our opponents, at home and abroad, that we are ready for this situation, that we understand the gravity of the moment, but that we do not intend to take a single step back." Nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly won Poland's presidential election, delivering a blow to the centrist government's efforts to cement Warsaw's pro-European orientation.
