“Tusk’s government is like a stunned boxer dreaming of the bell ringing”—Polish MEP Ryszard Czarnecki

Ryszard Czarnecki holds a degree in history from the University of Wroclaw and an honorary doctorate from the University of Yerevan. The author of six books, he has served as Poland’s minister of European affairs, minister without portfolio, and deputy minister of culture and arts. Since 2004, he has been a Member of the European Parliament and, since 2008, a member of Law and Justice in the Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group.

The inauguration of conservative Karol Nawrocki as Poland’s new president opens a new era for that country, and its impact is already beginning to resonate throughout Europe. We discussed this issue with MEP Czarnecki during the fifth conference of the MEGA event, Make Europe Great Again, after attending the presidential inauguration in Warsaw on August 6th. 

Some analysts have pointed out that Karol Nawrocki’s speech before the Sejm, the Polish parliament, was one of the best speeches delivered in that chamber. How do you assess the new president’s words?

It was a speech not only by the president of the country but also by a leader of the People, who addressed his voters directly, bypassing the political class. He clearly criticized the government, especially for the actions of the judiciary. The face of Prime Minister Tusk shown on television during President Nawrocki’s speech said more than long articles: the head of government understood that his dream of a monopoly on power was over and that he no longer had a chance for the authoritarian rule he so ardently desired. 

President Nawrocki is a historian; hence, his speech contained many references to Polish history and to great figures from our past who can serve as inspiration for us. It is interesting that Tusk is also a historian and even graduated from the same University of Gdańsk as President Nawrocki, but in his statements and public activities, he does not refer to our history.

In the afternoon, Nawrocki took command of the armed forces in a city packed with demonstrators carrying Polish flags who had come to show their support for him. In his speech, like another later one on August 15, Armed Forces Day, he attached great importance to the development of the Polish army.

On that day, President Nawrocki gave three speeches: one in the Sejm to the entire nation, the second at the Royal Castle to the intelligentsia, the intellectual and cultural elites, and the third at Piłsudski Square to the soldiers. These were different speeches, but they were consistent. In the context of the war in Eastern Europe, President Nawrocki considers the army to be particularly important for Poland, and as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, he has a key say in matters of national security. It is meaningful that he speaks about plans to build the largest army in Europe—initially 300,000 strong, and then 500,000—in a much more concrete and precise manner than the government.

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Minister of Defense, was booed during Karol Nawrocki’s oath before the armed forces. His party has fallen to a 1.4% approval rating. Do you think a break with the Tusk government is possible?

Right-wing voters are harshly judging the current government and are increasingly vocal about it, including in public. The PSL party (Polish People’s Party), led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Kosiniak-Kamysz, faces a congress and a leadership battle in the fall. The party’s poll numbers are dramatic, but this does not necessarily mean the collapse of the coalition. It could happen, but I don’t think it’s the most likely scenario. However, if Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz’s PSL runs alone in the 2027 parliamentary elections, it will fail to enter the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament, for the first time in history.

Polls also predict the collapse of Poland 2050, the centrist party of Szymon Hołownia. It seems that Tusk is running out of friends.

Yes, under 5%. Hołownia, the current Marshal, or Speaker of the Sejm, had a result several times higher in the 2020 presidential election than in 2025! There are still two years to go before the parliamentary elections, but in Poland, as in almost all of Europe, liberal parties such as Polska 2050 and left-wing parties are in retreat. For us, however, the biggest rival is not the speaker of the Parliament but Donald Tusk’s prime minister KO (Civic Coalition) party. After all, it was their candidate who lost the presidential election, despite being the favorite.

Do you think Tusk will have to call for early elections?

If the polls for Tusk’s party are bad, which is very likely, then in 2026, a year before the elections, Tusk may resign from the government because he will be afraid of defeat. He will certainly not want to allow early elections, as this would probably mean an early handover of power.

What does the election of Karol Nawrocki change for Poland?

The victory of Law and Justice candidate Karol Nawrocki in the presidential election could be a political game changer. Tusk’s government is like a boxer stunned by a powerful blow, and the right-wing opposition is also like a boxer, but one who has just landed a series of blows while his opponent is staggering and dreaming of the bell ringing. Our victory in the presidential election means a huge increase in our chances of winning the parliamentary elections in two years’ time and returning to power. 

And for Europe?

The victory of the right wing in the presidential elections in Poland is a signal to the right wing across Europe that it, too, can win elections, even when the polls say otherwise and the media becomes a left-liberal propaganda mouthpiece for the opponents of the right wing. I will comment on this perversely with a quote from … U.S. President Barack Obama, who is not fond of the right wing. His words, “Yes, we can,” can be an appeal to the right wing on the Old Continent that it is possible to win against lies and all adverse circumstances, to win despite the media and financial advantage of the liberals and the Left. To paraphrase Karl Marx: “The specter of the right wing is haunting Europe…”