Tusk's government survives parliamentary vote of confidence in Poland

Warsaw (dpa) - Poland's pro-European Prime Minister Donald Tusk can breathe a sigh of relief: his centre-left government has survived a vote of confidence in parliament. After a debate lasting more than six hours, a majority of 243 of the 453 MPs present voted in favour of Tusk's cabinet, with 210 MPs voting against. However, the vote does not change the fact that a conflict is brewing in Poland between the new President Karol Nawrocki and the government, which will also have an impact on Europe.

The right-wing conservative Karol Nawrocki won the presidential election on 1 June against the candidate from Tusk's camp. Nawrocki, who has no party affiliation, is supported by the opposition PiS. He has already announced that Tusk can expect ‘tough resistance’ from the presidential palace. In Poland, the president can block new laws with a veto.

Tusk had scheduled the vote of confidence because he wanted to make sure that all coalition partners in his heterogeneous alliance were behind him. ‘I am asking for a vote of confidence because I have the conviction, the faith and the certainty that we have the mandate to govern and take full responsibility for what happens in Poland,’ said Tusk in his government statement. Governing will certainly be more difficult, but this is no reason for him to capitulate.

PiS boycotts

The MP's of PiS in parliament made it clear that the signs were pointing towards confrontation: during Tusk's government statement, most of them were demonstratively absent from the plenary chamber. ‘We don't want to take part in Tusk's PR campaign,’ said PiS parliamentary group leader Mariusz Blaszczak. 

In the subsequent question and answer session, the PiS MPs raised the issue of Tusk's alleged subservience to Germany so often that he shouted from the lectern in exasperation: ‘An obsession with other nationalities can also be dealt with!’

Tusk takes stock

In his speech, Tusk took stock of the one and a half years of his government's work to date. He emphasised that his country is in an excellent economic position. Inflation, which was very high during PiS times, was under control. Poland has the highest economic growth rate in the EU at 3.7 per cent. Unemployment is the lowest in the community of states.

The head of government also emphasised that the border with Belarus, which is also an external EU border, had been further fortified in order to stop irregular migration. EU funds had been acquired for this purpose. Poland and the EU accuse Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately bringing people from crisis regions to Poland's eastern border. 

Tusk: Poland back in the top class of world politics

The Polish PM also referred to foreign policy successes. ‘Poland has returned to the top class of world politics,’ said Tusk. He referred to the friendship and cooperation treaty recently signed with France, which also provides for assistance in defence matters. Relations with the USA are also excellent and at the ‘highest level’, said Tusk. Poland is a close military and political ally of Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, and has an important function as a logistical hub for military aid from the West.

Tusk announced that he would be reshuffling his cabinet in July. ‘There will certainly be new faces.’ A government spokesperson will also ensure that policy is better communicated. Following the defeat of Tusk's political colleague Rafal Trzaskowski in the presidential election, the government's inadequate information policy was widely criticised. It was also said that Tusk had been too hesitant on many issues, such as the liberalisation of abortion rights promised during the election campaign.

Rocky road ahead

There has also been little progress on the most important project of Tusk's government: the former EU Council President had set out to reverse the damage to the rule of law caused by the PiS government in office from 2015 to 2023 with its judicial reform. However, the incumbent President Andrzej Duda, who comes from the ranks of the PiS, has so far blocked all corresponding draft laws. 

It is already clear that Nawrocki, who takes office on 6 August, will be even tougher. The 42-year-old historian with a doctorate, who has a past as an amateur boxer and bouncer, owes his rise to the powerful PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a political arch-enemy of Tusk. The future head of state said last week that he was not afraid of Tusk and would react ‘harshly and decisively’ to any provocation.