Prime Minister Donald Tusk won a vote of confidence in the Polish parliament, retaining his position after his coalition suffered a loss in the recent presidential election. Tusk’s government received 243 votes in favor and 210 against in a vote that was expected to pass given the coalition’s parliamentary majority.
The vote follows the election of nationalist Karol Nawrocki as president, who defeated Tusk’s preferred centrist candidate Rafał Trzaskowski. Nawrocki, like his predecessor Andrzej Duda, is associated with the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party and will be sworn in on August 6.
Tusk requested the vote of confidence to clarify his government’s standing following the presidential election. In his address to parliament, Tusk said, “We need clarity on our current position after the presidential election,” and acknowledged the difficult political environment ahead.
He noted that his government would face “two and a half years of extremely hard work in political conditions that will not improve, with a president who, at best, will be unsympathetic to change — just like the outgoing one.” Tusk’s coalition does not have the votes needed to override presidential vetoes, making cooperation with the incoming president critical for legislative progress.
During the session, PiS MPs largely refrained from participating in the plenary address, instead using the question period to criticize Tusk. Janusz Kowalski, a PiS MP, labeled Tusk “the prime minister of illegal migrants, the prime minister of public finance disaster, the prime minister of lies and contempt for Poles.”
Tusk defended his government’s record, referencing the 11.5 million votes received by the coalition in the 2023 election, increased defense spending, reduced issuance of visas to migrants from Asia and Africa, expanded social spending, and economic growth exceeding 3% in 2025 so far, compared to 0.2% in 2023.
He reiterated his commitment to exposing alleged abuses by the previous PiS government and promised to pursue efforts to restore the rule of law, including reversing PiS’s changes to the justice system. “No abuse [of power], no falsehood, and no theft will be swept under the rug,” Tusk said.
Tusk also announced a government reshuffle planned for July. However, new legislation aimed at restoring judicial independence is likely to face obstacles from President-elect Nawrocki.
