Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Monday he will seek a parliamentary vote of confidence in his coalition government following the defeat of his ally, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, in Sunday’s presidential runoff.
Conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki won the election with 50.89% of the vote, dealing a blow to Tusk’s centrist coalition.
"Regardless of how we evaluate the winning candidate, we should acknowledge his victory and congratulate his voters," Tusk said in a televised address. "The presidential elections have not changed anything—and will not change anything—about our government’s mandate."
The result weakens Tusk politically, raising doubts about whether his ideologically diverse coalition can maintain stability until the scheduled 2027 elections. A successful confidence vote would signal that he retains parliamentary backing to govern.
Nawrocki, a 42-year-old political novice and amateur boxer backed by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, will succeed President Andrzej Duda, whose term ends August 6.
Though Poland’s prime minister holds most executive power, the president can influence foreign policy and veto legislation—a tool Duda used repeatedly to block Tusk’s judicial reforms. Nawrocki is expected to follow a similar path, complicating Tusk’s agenda.
During the campaign, Nawrocki positioned himself as a defender of conservative values, opposing abortion liberalization and criticizing EU influence. He has pledged continued support for Ukraine against Russia but opposes Kiev’s NATO membership.
Tusk’s government, in power since late 2023, has struggled to advance key promises, including rolling back PiS-era judicial changes that the EU deemed undemocratic. With Nawrocki in office, further legislative hurdles are expected.
Tusk framed the confidence vote as a test of his government’s resilience.
"I want everyone to see—including our opponents at home and abroad—that we are ready for this situation," he said. "We understand the gravity of the moment but do not intend to take a single step back."
His coalition holds 242 seats in the 460-member lower house, making survival likely. However, internal discontent has surfaced. Parliament Speaker Szymon Hołownia, a former presidential candidate, called the election result "a yellow card—maybe even a red one—for this government."
Meanwhile, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński urged cross-party talks on forming a "technocratic government," though Tusk has dismissed such calls.
The timing of the confidence vote remains unclear. For now, Tusk’s government faces a tougher political landscape as it navigates an opposition-aligned presidency.