President Andrzej Duda has announced that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of the Law and Justice (PiS) party will have the opportunity to form a new government following the victory of his party in the elections, despite lacking a majority.
PiS, in power since 2015, won the elections but lost its majority. As all other parties have ruled out cooperation with PiS, it appears unlikely that they will be able to govern.
„After a calm analysis and consultations, I have decided to entrust the mission of forming a government to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,” stated Duda in a televised address.
Duda’s decision was welcomed by PiS spokesperson Rafał Bochenek, who described it as a confirmation of the long-standing constitutional tradition of the country in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
If Morawiecki is unable to secure a vote of confidence in parliament, a new prime minister will be appointed, likely to be former European Council President Donald Tusk from the opposition party.
Tusk, a former President of the European Council, urged Duda to promptly appoint him as prime minister, emphasizing that any delay could harm the chances of unlocking funds earmarked for Poland that have been frozen by Brussels due to a dispute over judicial reforms.
Addressing a rally shortly before Duda’s announcement, Tusk commented that this decision unnecessarily exposes Poland’s interests to tangible losses, but he reiterated that it would not change anything.
The appointment of the Europhile Tusk would mark a significant shift for Poland after eight years of disputes with Brussels on various issues.
In addition to his promise to unblock European Union funds, Tusk has also stated his intention to bring individuals accused of wrongdoing during PiS’s eight years in power, including President Duda himself, before a state tribunal.
The liberal Civic Coalition (KO) accuses PiS of undermining democratic standards by increasing political control over the courts and using state television as a tool for propaganda. The government denies these allegations.
