Poland's Donald Tusk faces no confidence vote after election failure

Poland's
prime minister
Donald Tusk
is expected to survive a vote of no confidence he called in a bid to shore up support after his
candidate lost the presidential election
.
But while the premier's position is not immediately on the line, Wednesday's parliamentary debate and vote are expected to expose further strains and ideological divides within his coalition.
Mr Tusk called the vote shortly after right-wing opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki was elected president, defeating the ruling coalition's front-runner and mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski.
The presidential battle turned into an unofficial referendum on Mr Tusk and the failures of his government almost two years after he won the parliamentary elections, relegating the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party into the opposition.
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Leaders of Mr Tusk's main coalition partners have pledged support ahead of Wednesday's vote. But that is 'only the first of several hurdles Tusk will have to overcome if he does not want to spend two more years running a lame duck government', said Adam Gendźwiłł, political science professor at Warsaw university.
Mr Tusk's coalition controls 242 of the 460 seats in Poland's Sejm, or lower house, with the next parliamentary elections not due until 2027. If he loses his 12-seat majority, he could continue as head of a minority government, but that would limit his ability to pass any significant legislation even further. Snap elections could only be triggered if a supermajority of 307 MPs decide to dissolve parliament.
By winning the presidency, Mr Nawrocki has scuppered Mr Tusk's plan to reset his reform agenda with an ally in the presidential palace.
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Polish government faces vote of confidence after Karol Nawrocki's wins presidential election
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In Poland, presidents can veto bills – a power already used by outgoing president Andrzej Duda, a PiS nominee considered to be more moderate than Mr Nawrocki but who has blocked Mr Tusk's judicial reforms.
The promise of those reforms also underpinned the European Commission's decision to unlock billions in EU funds frozen during a stand-off with the previous PiS-led government over rule of law concerns. Mr Nawrocki has not yet clarified what he plans to do about the judicial overhaul, which Mr Tusk has pledged to pursue.
Following Mr Nawrocki's win, the prime minister decided to fast-track a confidence vote to rapidly quell internal dissent.
In a national television address last week, Mr Tusk described the parliamentary vote as a chance to 'move forward' for his coalition.
'We want everyone to see – also our opponents at home and abroad – that we are ready for this situation, that we understand the seriousness of the moment,' he said. – The Financial Times Limited 2025

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Irish Examiner

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• Irish Examiner

Maria Walsh: Polish election result shows we cannot take trust in Europe for granted

Earlier this month, Poland elected Karol Nawrocki as its new president as he edged out his opponent by the narrowest of margins in a record-breaking 73% voter turnout. His defeat of liberal Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski stands in stark contrast to the centrist coalition currently governing in Poland's parliament — and could signal a pivot backwards in one of the EU's most strategically important member states. With his Maga-style politics and growing nationalist platform, Nawrocki resembles a number of other right-wing populist leaders elected in recent years. His victory arrives at a fragile moment for the EU, a moment when European unity is being tested by war on its borders, institutional reforms in Brussels, and a steady undercurrent of far-right momentum across the bloc. This is a result that will have consequences far beyond the Polish borders — reverberations of the June 1 election will be felt across the EU and will undoubtedly arrive on Irish shores. Conversations in Brussels this week have centred around the reasons underpinning Nawrocki's victory. It appears Poland's membership of the EU played a pivotal role in the end result. For some Poles, there is a growing feeling the European Union has "diluted" the Polish national identity. This feeling has been matched by a growing wave of nationalism, which is linked to a similar sentiment around migration and open borders. Polish citizens, who have gained considerably from EU membership, much as we have done in Ireland, have elected a resident who is far from a fan of the European project. While the impact of Nawrocki's victory might not be felt immediately in Brussels — he will not directly dictate Poland's decisions taken across the EU institutions — the presidential role is much more than a ceremonial footnote. As president, he holds veto power over legislation and has already forced prime minister Donald Tusk — who leads a pro-European government — into calling a parliamentary vote of confidence. Given his power over the prime minister, a legislative stalemate surrounding Tusk's pro-European reforms is highly likely. Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh: 'We must ensure Irish citizens continue to see and understand the value of the European project — because trust in Europe cannot be assumed, it must be earned.' Since Brexit, the EU's centre of gravity has shifted eastward. Poland has been at the heart of this transition, with its influence in the EU continuing to increase thanks to its economic growth, geographic position and strong defence capabilities. Since joining the EU in 2004, Poland has become the fastest growing economy in Europe. Alongside its fiscal success, Poland has emerged as a military frontrunner in the EU. 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Irish Independent

12-06-2025

• Irish Independent

Donald Tusk gets backing from Polish parliament, with rocky road ahead for his government

©Associated Press Today at 21:30 Donald Tusk's government survived a confidence vote yesterday, shoring up its mandate after the nationalist opposition's victory in the presidential election raised doubts about the Polish prime minister's ability to deliver on key reforms. Lawmakers voted 243-210 in favour of the government in the 460-seat Sejm, the lower house, with supporters rising to applaud Mr Tusk and chant his name. Register for free to read this story Register and create a profile to get access to our free stories. You'll also unlock more free stories each week.

RTÉ News​

11-06-2025

• RTÉ News​

Polish government wins vote of confidence in parliament

Poland's pro-EU coalition government has won a vote of confidence in the country's parliament by 243 to 210 votes. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the vote last week following the victory of conservative historian Karol Nawrocki in the Polish presidential election, who defeated Mr Tusk's ally, the centrist candidate Rafal Trzaskowski. The vote in the Sejm, the Polish parliament, was seen as an attempt by Mr Tusk to display unity within the coalition government and to reinforce its mandate, with two-and-a-half years to go until the next parliamentary election in 2027. The main opposition party, the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS), had called on the government to resign following the presidential election in an attempt to capitalise on Mr Nawrocki's victory, the candidate backed by PiS in the race. Mr Tusk presented his government's record to parliament this morning, 18 months after coming to power. He pointed to increased spending on defence and national security, higher spending on social security programmes, stricter immigration controls and improved relations with the European Union as some of the government's main achievements. Mr Tusk also hailed economic growth of 3.7% during the 18 months of the current government and lower inflation, now at 4.1% compared to 18% in early 2023 during the final year of the previous PiS government. However, annual rates of inflation have fallen considerably in most European economies since dramatic highs in 2022, caused largely by supply chain disruptions and higher energy prices following the global pandemic. The result of the recent presidential election, said Mr Tusk, "does not in any way reduce our responsibility, our duties, the scope of power and competence". Leaders of the coalition government's three other parties, speaking in parliament, also gave their support to Mr Tusk's speech. The Polish premier also said that he would announce a cabinet reshuffle in July, perhaps a signal that he wants to give his government some fresh momentum. In a stunt emblematic of the deep polarisation in Polish politics, PiS deputies boycotted Mr Tusk's speech. PiS, along with the far-right Confederation party and the small far-left party, Razem (Together), voted against the government in this afternoon's confidence motion. Mr Tusk's government has struggled to deliver some of the more prominent reforms it promised voters when it was elected in October 2023. These include the liberalisation of Poland's strict abortion laws, the introduction of civil union for same-sex couples and reforms to the judiciary to reverse the rule-of-law changes made by PiS when it was in government from 2015 to 2023. The government's inability to push through some of its reform priorities appears to have dented its popularity. A survey by Polish pollster OGB conducted one week before the presidential election on 1 June found that only one in three people surveyed held a positive view of the current government. Outgoing President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, has played a role in stifling the government's reform agenda, vetoing or deferring two dozen bills over the past 18 months since the coalition government was formed, including a bill passed by parliament to overhaul the country's constitutional court, currently stacked with conservative judges appointed by PiS. However, differences within the coalition government over abortion legislation and same-sex union have also held back reforms. While Mr Tusk's Civic Platform, the largest party in the coalition, and the Left, the smallest group, support the liberalisation of Poland's strict abortion laws to allow abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy, a socially conservative bloc within the coalition opposes full liberalisation and favours a referendum on the issue. The vote of confidence is symbolically important for Mr Tusk as prime minister and his government, which will now try to redouble its efforts to overhaul the judiciary. However, Mr Nawrocki, due to be sworn in as Poland's new president in August, may block or delay those efforts, just as Mr Duda has done.