Polish PM Donald Tusk prepares for confidence vote
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Polish PM Donald Tusk seeks confidence vote
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced a confidence vote in parliament. The move comes as Tusk strives to regain political momentum following the recent presidential election defeat of his ally Rafal Trzaskowski. Tusk, whose fractious centrist coalition built around his Civic Platform party holds 242 seats in the 460-seat Sejm, or lower house, is expected to survive the vote. The vote could potentially trigger early elections, not scheduled until 2027.
The move comes as Tusk strives to regain political momentum following the recent presidential election defeat of his ally Rafal Trzaskowski to nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki, a loss that sparked speculation about the future of his government, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Tusk, whose fractious centrist coalition built around his Civic Platform party holds 242 seats in the 460-seat Sejm, or lower house, is expected to survive the vote, which could potentially trigger early elections, not scheduled until 2027.
“Governing Poland is a privilege,” Tusk told politicians ahead of the vote on Wednesday. “We have a mandate to take full responsibility for what’s going on in Poland.”
He listed higher defence spending and a cut in his government’s visa issuance for migrants as major achievements since he took power in October 2023 from the nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS).
But a win is unlikely to bring the “new beginning” the 68-year-old leader is hoping for after this month’s presidential race left his coalition rattled, raising questions over his leadership against a backdrop of surging support for the far-right in the country of 38 million.
Following the presidential election, there has been growing criticism that Tusk’s government has underdelivered on its campaign promises, failing to fulfil pledges of liberalising abortion laws, reforming the judiciary and raising the tax-free income threshold.
Tensions within the governing coalition, particularly with the Polish People’s Party (PSL), which advocates for socially conservative values and wants more curbs on immigration, could spell more trouble.
President-elect Nawrocki, an admirer of US President Donald Trump, is also an EU-sceptic who is expected to work to boost the opposition PiS party that backed him.
An SW Research poll for Rzeczpospolita daily showed that about a third of Poles thought Tusk’s government would not survive until the end of its term in 2027.
News.Az
Donald Tusk makes his case before a confidence vote in Poland
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk asks for a vote of confidence in his government. He is seeking to reaffirm the mandate of his coalition government. The vote follows the narrow June 1 defeat of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski to Karol Nawrocki, a right-wing nationalist backed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Tusk is expected to survive the vote in the lower house of parliament, the Sejm, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The 68-year-old Tusk served as Polish prime minister from 2007-2014 and then as president of the European Council from 2014-2019.. He resumed his leadership of the country as prime minister again in December 2023 in a country exhausted by the pandemic and inflation, and with political divisions deep and bitter. He remains the most powerful person in the Central European nation, and his government coalition has a parliamentary majority, with 242 seats in the 460-seat body.
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Tusk also acknowledged the new difficulties that he faces in a speech before a vote of confidence which he requested seeking to reaffirm the mandate of his coalition government.
The vote in parliament follows the narrow June 1 defeat of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski to Karol Nawrocki, a right-wing nationalist backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“I am asking for a vote of confidence with full conviction that we have a mandate to govern, to take full responsibility for what is happening in Poland,” Tusk said.
He said that his coalition’s challenges are greater as a result of the presidential election. But he also argued that the narrow defeat of Trzaskowski indicates that support remains strong for his political camp.
Tusk is expected to survive the vote in the lower house of parliament, the Sejm, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. He remains the most powerful person in the Central European nation, and his government coalition has a parliamentary majority, with 242 seats in the 460-seat body.
Still, the close presidential race has rattled his coalition, an uneasy alliance of his centrist Civic Coalition, the Left party and the center-right Polish People’s Party.
Many have started blaming Tusk for Trzaskowski’s defeat, and his coalition partners have begun reevaluating the benefits and costs of sticking it out with him.
There are questions about what Tusk can realistically achieve before the next parliamentary election, scheduled for late 2027, and whether it will even survive that long in a new political environment in which the far right has seen an surge in popularity.
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Polish media and political analysts are debating whether this might be the 68-year-old Tusk’s political twilight.
“I know the bitterness of defeat, but I do not know such a word as ‘capitulation,” Tusk told lawmakers.
Tusk served as Polish prime minister from 2007-2014 and then as president of the European Council from 2014-2019. He resumed his leadership of the country as prime minister again in December 2023 in a country exhausted by the pandemic and inflation, and with political divisions deep and bitter.
In a sign of those divisions, half of the parliament hall was empty, with right-wing lawmakers boycotting his speech on Wednesday. Tusk criticized them for that, suggesting that they were showing disrespect to the nation by being absent.
For Tusk, the challenge is keeping his fractious coalition intact. A failure would trigger the formation of a caretaker government and possibly an early election – a scenario that could return power to the national conservative Law and Justice party, likely in coalition with the the far-right anti-Ukraine Confederation party, whose candidate placed third in the presidential race.
Tusk had long counted on a Trzaskowski victory to end months of gridlock under President Andrzej Duda, who repeatedly blocked his reform agenda. Instead, Nawrocki is now poised to take office, promising strong resistance to Tusk’s plans.
In his speech, Tusk acknowledged that that his coalition was already facing challenges that have only grown more difficult.
“We cannot close our eyes to reality. These challenges are greater than we anticipated as a result of the presidential election,” he said.
Following the presidential election, criticism has grown that Tusk’s government has underdelivered on its campaign promises. Many blame him for contributing to Trzaskowski’s loss. Much of the criticism comes from within his coalition.
Joanna Mucha, a deputy education minister from the centrist Third Way alliance, posted a blistering Facebook analysis blaming the defeat on Tusk’s party. She argued that law and justice, which backed Nawrocki, ran a focused, data-driven campaign with a fresh face, and she accused Tusk’s party of ignoring polling data, relying on campaign consultants who had lost previous elections, and failing to build support beyond its liberal base.
Trzaskowski, who had already lost the presidential race in 2020, “now also carries the baggage of dissatisfaction with the current government,” she said.
Poland’s PM Donald Tusk defends his government ahead of confidence vote
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk defends his centrist, pro-European government before parliament on Wednesday. Tusk requested a vote of confidence in the wake of the loss of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a close ally, to conservative Karol Nawrocki in the 1 June presidential runoff. The vote, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday afternoon, is widely expected to go in Tusk’s favour. His four-party coalition holds a narrow but stable majority in the 460-seat Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament. A loss would trigger the formation of a caretaker government and may open the door for an early parliamentary election. That could potentially return power to the conservative Law and Justice party, in coalition with the far-right Confederation party, whose candidate placed third in the presidential race. There are questions about what Tusk can realistically achieve before the next parliamentary election, scheduled for late 2027, and whether the coalition will even survive that long.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended his centrist, pro-European government before parliament on Wednesday, seeking to reassert control and rally his fractured coalition after suffering a bitter political defeat.
Tusk requested a vote of confidence in the wake of the loss of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a close ally, to conservative Karol Nawrocki in the 1 June presidential runoff.
Backed by US President Donald Trump, Nawrocki is set to replace outgoing President Andrzej Duda, another Law and Justice or PiS party-backed conservative who repeatedly blocked Tusk’s reform efforts.
“I am asking for a vote of confidence with full conviction that we have a mandate to govern, to take full responsibility for what is happening in Poland,” Tusk, who heads the Civic Platform (PO) coalition, said in Warsaw.
“Anyone who is ready to move forward with me, with the government, and above all with our voters, regardless of these momentary emotions, and build a better Poland, should vote today for a vote of confidence in our government,” Tusk said.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk addresses the Polish parliament in Warsaw, 11 June, 2025 AP Photo
The vote, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday afternoon, is widely expected to go in Tusk’s favour.
His four-party coalition holds a narrow but stable majority in the 460-seat Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament.
A loss would trigger the formation of a caretaker government and may open the door for an early parliamentary election.
That could potentially return power to the conservative Law and Justice party, in coalition with the far-right Confederation party, whose candidate placed third in the presidential race.
Political stalemate
Tusk had long counted on a Trzaskowski victory to break the institutional deadlock created by Duda’s vetoes. Instead, he now faces an incoming president aligned with the nationalist opposition and openly hostile to his government’s legislative priorities.
“We cannot close our eyes to reality,” he said. “A president who was reluctant to accept the changes we proposed for Poland and our voters is being replaced by a president who is at least equally reluctant to those changes and proposals.”
But he also argued that Trzaskowski’s narrow defeat indicates that there is continued strong support for those who share his views.
The election result rattled the already uneasy governing coalition, which spans from centre-left to centre-right and has struggled to deliver on key campaign pledges, including liberalising Poland’s abortion law and legalising same-sex civil unions.
Presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski greets supporters at his headquarters after the presidential election runoff in Warsaw, 1 June, 2025 AP Photo
Tusk acknowledged the growing strains in Wednesday’s address.
Many are also blaming Tusk for contributing to Trzaskowski’s loss. Much of the criticism has come from within his coalition, as his partners examine whether they are better off sticking with him or risking a collapse of the coalition.
Some are calling for a new prime minister to be selected.
There are questions about what Tusk can realistically achieve before the next parliamentary election, scheduled for late 2027, and whether the coalition will even survive that long amid a surge in popularity for the far right.
Polish media and political analysts are debating whether this might be the 68-year-old Tusk’s political twilight.
“I know the taste of victory, I know the bitterness of defeat, but I don’t know the word surrender,” Tusk said.
As part of his fresh start, he announced plans for a government reconstruction in July that will include “new faces.”
He said a government spokesman would be appointed in June, an acknowledgement that the coalition needs a way to present a unified message.
So far Tusk has sought to communicate his policies to the public himself on social media and in news conferences.
Tusk served as Polish prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and then as president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He became Poland’s prime minister again in December 2023 in a country hit by the pandemic and inflation and facing significant political divisions.
In a sign of those divisions, half of the parliament hall was empty on Wednesday, with lawmakers from the right-wing PiS party boycotting his speech. Tusk said their absence showed disrespect to the nation.
Most of the power in Poland’s parliamentary system rests with an elected parliament and a government chosen by the parliament. However, the president can veto legislation and represent the country abroad.
Polish Prime Minister Tusk is preparing for a vote of confidence
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for a vote of confidence in his pro-European government. Tusk’s coalition has 12 seats in the lower house, the Sejm, and only a simple majority is needed to win in the presence of half of the 460 parliamentarians. Wednesday’s vote is expected to be a formality, as the president can veto legislation. President Karol Nawrocki opposes a federal Europe and Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the EU.
Details
Wednesday’s vote is expected to be a formality, as Tusk’s coalition has 12 seats in the lower house, the Sejm, and only a simple majority is needed to win in the presence of half of the 460 parliamentarians.
Ahead of the vote, Tusk told the House that they cannot “close their eyes” to the reality that his government faces “greater challenges” thanks to the election of Karol Nawrocki, who is supported by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party.
In Poland, the president can veto legislation, and Nawrocki, a socially conservative supporter of President Trump who opposes a federal Europe and Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the EU, is expected to continue to use his power, as conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda did during Tusk’s first 18 months in office.
Tusk’s coalition lacks a large enough parliamentary majority to override a presidential veto. There is nothing to be done about this, but the parliament’s reaffirmation of confidence puts Tusk’s government in the lead again, at least for now.
He also announced that a cabinet reshuffle will take place in July.
I am asking you for a vote of confidence because I am convinced, I believe and I am sure that we have a mandate to govern, to take full responsibility for what is happening in Poland. We have two and a half years of full mobilization and full responsibility ahead of us in difficult conditions – said Tusk.
Addition
In Poland, a tough confrontation is brewing between the appointed right-wing conservative President Karol Nawrocki and the pro-European head of government Donald Tusk.
“Prime Minister Tusk must be prepared to face strong resistance from the presidential palace,” President Nawrocki said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk defends his centrist government before a vote of confidence
Tusk requested a vote of confidence in the wake of the June 1 loss of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski. Backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Nawrocki is set to replace outgoing President Andrzej Duda. Tusk acknowledged the growing strains in Wednesday’s address. His four-party coalition holds a narrow but stable majority in the 460-seat Sejm, Poland’s lower house. The election result has rattled the already uneasy governing coalition, which spans from center-left to center-right and has struggled to deliver on key campaign pledges, including liberalizing abortion law and legalizing same-sex civil unions. The vote, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, is widely expected to go in Tusk’s favor. A loss would trigger the formation of a caretaker government and may open the door for an early parliamentary election. That could potentially returning power to the conservative Law and Justice party, in coalition with the far-right Confederation party, whose candidate placed third in the presidential race.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended his centrist, pro-European government before parliament on Wednesday, seeking to reassert control and rally his fractured coalition after suffering a bitter political defeat.
Tusk requested a vote of confidence in the wake of the June 1 loss of Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski — his close ally — to nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki. Backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Nawrocki is set to replace outgoing President Andrzej Duda, another conservative who repeatedly blocked Tusk’s reform efforts.
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“I am asking for a vote of confidence with full conviction that we have a mandate to govern, to take full responsibility for what is happening in Poland,” Tusk said.
Most of the power in Poland’s parliamentary system rests with an elected parliament and a government chosen by the parliament. However, the president can veto legislation and represents the country abroad.
“Anyone who is ready to move forward with me, with the government, and above all with our voters, regardless of these momentary emotions, and build a better Poland, should vote today for a vote of confidence in our government,” Tusk said.
The vote, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, is widely expected to go in Tusk’s favor. His four-party coalition holds a narrow but stable majority in the 460-seat Sejm, Poland’s lower house.
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A loss would trigger the formation of a caretaker government and may open the door for an early parliamentary election. That could potentially returning power to the conservative Law and Justice party, in coalition with the far-right Confederation party, whose candidate placed third in the presidential race.
Tusk had long counted on a Trzaskowski victory to break the institutional deadlock created by Duda’s vetoes. Instead, he now faces an incoming president aligned with the nationalist opposition and openly hostile to his government’s legislative priorities.
“We cannot close our eyes to reality,” he said. “A president who was reluctant to accept the changes we proposed for Poland and our voters is being replaced by a president who is at least equally reluctant to those changes and proposals.”
But he also argued that Trzaskowski’s narrow defeat indicates that there is continued strong support for those who share his views.
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The election result has rattled the already uneasy governing coalition, which spans from center-left to center-right and has struggled to deliver on key campaign pledges, including liberalizing Poland’s abortion law and legalizing same-sex civil unions. Tusk acknowledged the growing strains in Wednesday’s address.
Many are also blaming Tusk for contributing to Trzaskowski’s loss. Much of the criticism has come from within his coalition, as his partners examine whether they are better off sticking with him or risking a collapse of the coalition. Some are calling for a new prime minister to be selected.
There are questions about what Tusk can realistically achieve before the next parliamentary election, scheduled for late 2027, and whether the coalition will even survive that long amid a surge in popularity for the far right. Polish media and political analysts are debating whether this might be the 68-year-old Tusk’s political twilight.
“I know the taste of victory, I know the bitterness of defeat, but I don’t know the word surrender,” Tusk said.
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As part of his fresh start, he announced plans for a government reconstruction in July that will include “new faces.” He said a government spokesman would be appointed in June — an acknowledgement that the coalition needs a way to present a unified message. So far Tusk has sought to communicate his policies to the public himself on social media and in news conferences.
Tusk served as Polish prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and then as president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He became Poland’s prime minister again in December 2023 in a country exhausted by the pandemic and inflation, and with political divisions deep and bitter.