The nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki has been sworn in as the Polish president, using his inaugural address to criticise the EU as he vowed to represent “sovereign” Poland, in a sign of potential clashes to come with the country’s pro-European government.
In a combative speech in parliament aimed squarely at the prime minister, Donald Tusk, and his allies, Nawrocki said on Wednesday that the voters in June’s presidential election had “sent a strong message … that things cannot continue to be governed in this way”.
The 42-year-old attacked his rivals for the “propaganda, lies … and contempt” to which he said he had been subjected during the polarising campaign. He said he opposed “illegal migration … and joining the euro”, and wanted a “sovereign Poland that is in the European Union … but is and will remain Poland”.
A devout Catholic, Nawrocki ended his speech with a cry: “May God bless Poland, long live Poland.”
Backed by the populist rightwing opposition Law and Justice party, which ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023, Nawrocki ran under a Trumpesque slogan of “Poland first, Poles first”.
He defied the polls to narrowly beat the Oxford-educated liberal Warsaw mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, and replace the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda, who was stepping down after two terms.
Nawrocki, who faced controversy during the campaign when it emerged he had taken part in an organised brawl between football hooligans in 2009, has little experience in frontline politics. He served as the head of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, a state research institute.
His manifesto – going far beyond presidential powers – contained 21 promises, including to lower taxes and energy costs, stop the EU’s green policies, block irregular migration and ensure “safe childhood without ideology”, a phrase taken to mean opposition to same-sex adoption and gender education in schools.
After an unexpected visit to Washington in the final weeks of the campaign, Nawrocki sought and secured Donald Trump’s endorsement before the vote. A White House delegation also took part in the swearing-in ceremony.
As it tries to stand up to an increasingly aggressive Russia, Poland will hope that his personal relationship with Trump will help in defence talks with the US administration. Marek Magierowski, Poland’s former US ambassador, said in an analysis for the Atlantic Council that the links could “help keep both countries aligned in the contest against Russia”.
On Ukraine, Nawrocki has pledged to continue support for Kyiv, but opposes its Nato membership.
Domestically, the new presidency is expected to directly challenge Tusk’s pro-European coalition government.
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While the role of the Polish president carries limited powers, it gives him some influence over foreign and defence policy, a high public profile, and the ability to veto new legislation. The veto can only be overturned with a majority of three-fifths in parliament, which the government does not have, potentially stymying its ability to pass promised changes on contentious issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
Nawrocki is expected to make the most of his powers, seeking to stand up to the increasingly unpopular Tusk. He is expected to put forward his first legislative proposals this week in an attempt to set the political agenda for the autumn.
On Wednesday, Nawrocki drew some early battle lines. He challenged the government’s plans to restore the rule of law after the previous administration’s clashes with the EU, accusing Tusk’s government of undermining the country’s constitution and calling for its broader rewrite by 2030 – an ambition with a clear political implication.
Any change to the constitution would require a two-thirds majority in parliament. The Law and Justice party hopes to use Nawrocki’s success in the buildup to the 2027 parliamentary election to return to power, potentially in a coalition with the libertarian far-right Konfederacja party.
“He spoke about a confrontation with the government, and, of course, we are ready for that,” Tusk told reporters after the speech. He said he hoped “the rather defiant and confrontational tone won’t lead to any practical consequences”. Still, he added that “if needed, we will stand firm”.
He also pointedly criticised Nawrocki’s comments about the rule of law, putting them in the context of investigations into alleged irregularities under the previous Law and Justice government.
He said: “Even if some people complain that the reckoning process is going slowly, I’m not surprised PiS [the Law and Justice party] is desperate for President Nawrocki to somehow paralyse the work of the prosecutor’s office. But let me just say: dream on.”
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