Defiant Tusk to call confidence vote to reassert his authority in Poland after election setback

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk intends to call a parliamentary vote of confidence in his government following the victory of opposition-backed Karol Nawrocki in Sunday’s presidential election, he said Monday evening.

“I want everyone to see, including our opponents at home and abroad, that we are ready for this situation, that we understand the gravity of the moment, but that we do not intend to take a single step back,” Tusk said.

Nawrocki, a right-wing populist who counts U.S. President Donald Trump among his allies, will aim to use the presidency to block Tusk’s domestic agenda.

His election victory casts doubt on whether Tusk’s government can make meaningful progress on social security reform, restoring the rule of law, or on hot-button issues like allowing same-sex partnerships or loosening Poland’s strict abortion rules.

Declaring that the presidential elections “have not changed and will change nothing,” Tusk noted his government already has experience dealing with an uncooperative president and that there is an emergency plan for dealing with this scenario.

Tusk expressed openness to working with Nawrocki if he proves to be cooperative, but said it would be a “positive surprise” if that is the case. Current President Andrzej Duda has used his veto power to thwart Tusk’s legislative efforts.

Tusk is in a good position to survive the vote of confidence, first reported by Polsat, given the presidential election has had no bearing on parliamentary arithmetic — though there are rumblings of discontent among his ruling coalition. The parties making up the Tusk-led coalition account for 242 MPs in the 460-seat lower house of parliament.

Parliament Speaker (and failed presidential candidate) Szymon Hołownia said on Monday afternoon the election result was “a yellow card — maybe even a red one — for this government and this coalition.”

Luiza Savage contributed to this report.

This article has been updated.