Right-wing nationalist Karol Nawrocki narrowly defeated the Tusk-backed candidate to win the presidency, prompting Tusk to call for a confidence vote. Tusk will lose the election, according to the opposition.
Days after suffering a crushing defeat in the presidential election, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will be up against a vote of confidence in parliament on Wednesday.
As right-wing nationalist Karol Nawrocki, supported by the opposition Law and Justice party, defeated his nominee Rafal Trzaskowski by a slim margin, Tusk personally called for the confidence vote.
Additionally, US President Donald Trump supported Nawrocki. Tusk stated his party is ready for the task, is aware of the stakes, and has no intention of taking a single step back when he announced the vote.
Tusk wants to mobilize support for his pro-European alliance, which is why he is calling for a confidence vote.
The governing coalition led by Tusk has attempted to undo the judicial reforms implemented by the previous PiS government, which the EU claimed threatened democracy and the rights of minorities and women.
But such attempts were thwarted by outgoing President Andrzej Duda, and Nawrocki is anticipated to continue in this role.
Despite having a parliamentary majority, Tusk’s government has been plagued by its failure to implement important reforms, including abortion rights.
In Poland, the president, as head of state, has the authority to veto laws and influence foreign policy, but the prime minister, who is chosen by parliament, has the majority of daily authority.
Tusk is now in the same predicament with Nawrocki as he was with Duda, whose veto authority prevented the prime minister from carrying out his commitments.
Negotiations with his coalition are therefore still imminent, even if Tusk has presented the result as a “new beginning” and pledged a cabinet overhaul in July.
Leaders of the opposition have taken advantage of the situation to call for Tusk’s resignation.
Source: DW News
