Poland’s newly elected president, Karol Nawrocki, and conservative leader Jarosław Kaczyński have strongly opposed efforts by the left-liberal government to cast doubt on the recent presidential vote.
On Saturday, June 21st, conservative Nawrocki, who won the election with 50.9%, warned against attempts to undermine democracy after liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his coalition hinted at election fraud. He said questioning the outcome risks weakening public trust in democratic institutions.
Mr. Prime Minister, the future President of Poland will not allow democracy and the freedom to choose a president to be taken from our country. It is time to abandon the hysteria, stop undermining Polish democracy, and begin cooperating with the future President of Poland.
Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), Jarosław Kaczyński dismissed the fraud allegations as politically motivated and emphasised that his party must “mobilise all our forces” to defend the election’s legitimacy. He added:
There are those who cannot accept this democratic outcome simply because they lost. As a result, they seek to undermine it in any way possible.
Tusk’s camp had raised concerns after some polling stations reported irregularities. They requested recounts in selected areas, though these have not changed the result.
Tusk has suggested that a full recount of votes could be necessary.
Since returning to power, Prime Minister Tusk has used state institutions and legal tools to harass and sideline his political opponents. He has ignored court decisions, pursued politically driven prosecutions, and applied pressure to public media. His administration’s challenge to the presidential election is seen by many as a continuation of this trend.
