Tusk Wins Confidence Vote Amid Reform Struggles and Election Setback

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk won a vote of confidence to reinforce his government after his ally lost the presidential election to nationalist Karol Nawrocki. Though Tusk’s coalition holds a majority, key reforms remain blocked by presidential vetoes. He called the vote a new beginning, but critics say his leadership is weakening.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk won a parliamentary vote of confidence in his pro-European government on Wednesday, just days after suffering a stinging presidential election defeat.

Tusk is working to reassert his authority following the loss of his key ally, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, in the recent presidential election to nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki.

"I needed this vote because we were seeing... speculation that this government will not make it, that Tusk may be taken down, and you cannot work under such conditions," Tusk said.

From the 460-seat parliament, 243 lawmakers supported Tusk’s coalition, securing the simple majority required for the government to survive. Another 210 members voted against it.

Supporters of Tusk in the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, stood up to applaud the prime minister and chant his name after the result was announced.

The confidence vote, which Tusk himself initiated, followed the presidential election in which Nawrocki — supported by the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party — narrowly defeated Trzaskowski.

Nawrocki has pledged to continue the policies of outgoing President Andrzej Duda, including opposition to Tusk's reform agenda. He also enjoys the support of US President Donald Trump.

When announcing the vote, Tusk stated that his party was ready for the challenge, understood what was at stake, and did not "intend to take a single step back."

He declared that the vote of confidence should mark “a new opening.”

Tusk called for the vote as a strategic move to rally support for his pro-European coalition and reaffirm its legitimacy.

His coalition has been attempting to reverse the judicial reforms implemented by the previous PiS government, which the European Union criticized for undermining democratic principles and the rights of women and minorities.

However, those efforts have faced strong resistance from President Duda, who used his veto power to block reforms, and Nawrocki is expected to continue in the same vein.

This persistent obstacle — including stalled progress on abortion rights — has cast a shadow over Tusk's administration, despite its parliamentary majority.

Critics argue that little has changed since Tusk returned to power in December 2023.

In Poland, while the prime minister wields most executive authority, the president, as head of state, plays a significant role in foreign policy and can veto legislation.

Now, Tusk faces a similar dynamic with President-elect Nawrocki as he did with Duda, whose vetoes prevented him from delivering on many campaign promises.

Though Tusk has framed the confidence vote as a "new beginning" and announced plans for a cabinet reshuffle in July, negotiations within his coalition remain on the horizon.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders are treating the presidential election loss as a sign of Tusk’s weakening grip.

Former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro told reporters: "The lost presidential election is the end of Donald Tusk. His fate is already sealed."