Karol Nawrocki was sworn in as Poland’s new president on August 6, marking the start of what is expected to be a prolonged political standoff with Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition government.

Nawrocki, a historian backed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party and a newbie in top politics, used his inaugural address to deliver a scathing critique of the government. 

“It is impossible to continue governing in this manner, and Poland should not look like it does today,” Nawrocki said.

The 42-year-old won the June 1 presidential runoff by a narrow margin — 50.89% to 49.11% — defeating Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, the candidate backed by Tusk’s ruling coalition. The result dealt a major blow to Tusk, who had hoped to secure alignment between the presidency and government to push through delayed reforms. 

Instead, Tusk now faces another term under a head of state that can be expected to oppose his efforts, replacing former president Andrzej Duda, a staunch ally of PiS.

Nawrocki is expected to veto key legislation from the government, which lacks the parliamentary majority required to override presidential rejections. Both sides are preparing to use this gridlock to their advantage ahead of the next general election in 2027, each aiming to blame the other for inaction.

“I have worked with three presidents as prime minister so far. What will it be like with the fourth? We’ll manage,” Tusk said on social media.

Tusk also called Nawrocki's inauguration day "sad and disappointing". "We all believed that honesty, goodness, and love would prevail. What has happened puts our faith to a serious test," Tusk said in a video message.

In his first speech as president, Nawrocki pledged to block Poland’s adoption of the euro, saying he would support cooperation within the EU but “never agree to the European Union taking away Poland’s powers, especially in matters that are not enshrined in the European treaties.” 

Nawrocki also pledged to oppose attempts by the government to roll back PiS’s judiciary reforms, which cost Poland a delay in accessing EU funds before 2023. 

The president restated his campaign pledges to resist any increase in the retirement age, oppose illegal immigration and preserve the Polish złoty. Nawrocki also called for more housing investment.

Nawrocki indicated he would revive some policies dropped by the current government, including a plan to double the tax-free income threshold. That measure is no longer on the government’s agenda due to fiscal concerns.

What the cooperation between Nawrocki and the Tusk-led ruling majority will look like might become clearer within days, when parliament sends Nawrocki a bill combining electricity price caps for households — a policy Nawrocki has backed — with measures liberalising onshore wind development, which he and his voter base may oppose. 

The only area where Nawrocki and Tusk may find common ground is defence. 

Poland spends the highest share of GDP on defence in Nato and plays a central role in supporting Ukraine. 

“I will support all efforts to modernise the Polish army to make it the largest Nato land force within the European Union,” Nawrocki said, adding that he would “engage closely with the US” and “lead in building a resilient and responsible security architecture on Nato’s eastern flank”.