Karol Nawrocki will officially assume office as the President of the Republic of Poland on Wednesday, August 6th, in a solemn swearing-in ceremony held in Warsaw. The inauguration will mark the beginning of his presidential term. However, while the nation celebrates the new head of state, the head of government, Donald Tusk, is seen as an obstacle limiting the potential of the new Nawrocki era.
According to a poll conducted by United Surveys, almost every other Pole would like to see Prime Minister Tusk resign from his position. This division in the country’s population shows how turbulent the Polish political climate is.
Back in June, in the presidential faceoff, Karol Nawrocki, backed by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) Party, walked away with a surprise victory against projected frontrunner, centrist candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, backed by Tusk’s Civic Platform.
Two weeks after conservative Nawrocki’s election win, liberal forces aligned with Brussels continued to cast doubt on the results, alleging electoral fraud, despite a lack of concrete evidence, and Prime Minister Tusk called for an investigation into alleged irregularities. Opposition figures argue this is part of a broader strategy by the liberal establishment to consolidate institutional control after taking over the government and media, with the presidency seen as the final prize.
The conservative turn in Poland was welcomed among voters and conservative European allies. But with Tusk steering the government, breaking the cycle of closely following the orders from Brussels will be much harder to achieve for Nawrocki, since he will have to fight his own prime minister.
These fights may have already begun, as Tusk allegedly pressured Speaker of Parliament Szymon Hołownia to delay or block the swearing-in of President-elect Nawrocki, a claim now under investigation by Polish and EU prosecutors, following formal complaints by ex-election official Dariusz Lasocki. Hołownia reportedly refused the request. MP Jacek Sasin (PiS) called the allegation “shocking,” accusing Tusk of attempting to “overthrow democracy in Poland” and criticizing the EU for shielding liberal allies. If those allegations were proven, Tusk could face up to 20 years in prison.
The new president will begin his inauguration day at 10:00 a.m. in the Sejm, where the Marshal of the Sejm will open a joint session of the Sejm and Senate, forming the National Assembly. There, Nawrocki will take the presidential oath. Following the oath, he will officially assume the office and deliver his inaugural address to the nation before the National Assembly.
Nawrocki’s presidency begins in the eye of a political storm, with Brussels already working to undermine him for standing up to its progressive agenda. And with Prime Minister Tusk ready to fight him from day one, the real battle for Poland is just beginning.
