Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk won a vote of confidence in the Sejm on June 11, securing 243 votes in favour and 210 against after a marathon session during which more than 260 MPs posed questions to him.

The vote followed the narrow defeat of Tusk’s preferred candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski, by Karol Nawrocki in the June 1 presidential run-off – a result that dashed the prime minister’s hopes of launching a sweeping legislative agenda.

Unlike Trzaskowski, Nawrocki is expected to act as an immediate check on the government, seeking to portray Tusk as ineffective. The strategy, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party which nominated Nawrocki, is aimed at building public frustration ahead of the next general election in 2027.

Polls suggest that only about one-third of Poles believe the current government will serve its full term. Support for the coalition stands at 32%, while 44% of respondents say they oppose it, according to the latest survey by CBOS, a state pollster.

Short of options – bar a risky early election – Tusk called the confidence vote to reaffirm his leadership of the centrist-conservative-left alliance and to demonstrate unity amid growing pressure from both the opposition and within the coalition itself.

“I know the taste of victory and the bitterness of defeat, but I don't know the word surrender,” Tusk told the parliament.

The prime minister defended his government’s record on economic growth, defence, migration, healthcare, and welfare.

“After just a year and a half, Poland’s growth is 3.7% [year on year in Q1], the fastest in Europe. As inflation keeps falling, real wages have grown nearly 10%,” Tusk told the parliament.

“This is really a big deal, and I want to thank everyone who worked on it – so that within just a dozen or so months, starting from a very difficult place, with a broken state and dysfunctional or corrupt state structures, to achieve the highest growth in Europe, one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, one of the highest increases in real wages in Europe, and a rise in the level of investment,” Tusk also said.

However, even some allies expressed disappointment that he failed to lay out a clear programme for the remainder of the parliamentary term. The prime minister’s address lacked vision and particulars such as on civil partnerships, abortion, housing, or the environment, some coalition MPs pointed out.

Tusk said more details would be announced in July following a cabinet reshuffle. He added that the new approach would also be marked by the creation of a formal government spokesperson role, a function currently filled by ministers and Tusk himself.

Despite these plans, major reforms now appear unlikely. Nawrocki is widely expected to veto changes that conflict with PiS’s ideological stance, including proposals to overhaul the judiciary or liberalise Poland’s restrictive abortion laws.

Tusk’s coalition does not command the three-fifths majority required to override presidential vetoes.