‘No to illegal migration, no to euro,’ Nawrocki outlines his presidency in punchy speech
42-year-old Nawrocki narrowly won the presidential election in June, defying the polls and beating the Oxford-educated liberal Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski who was widely regarded as the clear favourite to replace the conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda stepping down after two terms.
Nawrocki’s punchy opening paragraphs give us a taster of what lies ahead.
“The free choice of a free nation has brought me before you today – despite the campaign of propaganda, lies, political theater, and the contempt I encountered on the road to the office of president.
And I forgave … as a Christian … I forgive all that contempt.”
He then swiftly turns against Tusk’s government – although not naming him – saying:
“These elections … sent a strong message – a message from the sovereign people to the entire political class … that things cannot continue to be governed in this way. That Poland should not look the way it does today.”
He outlines his manifesto saying his presidency will say “no to illegal migration, yes to Polish złoty, no to joining the euro,” and that he will block any attempt to raise the retirement age.
But he declares he will be “the voice of the nation,” and will seek to operate “across” existing political divides.
He says he wants Poland that is “part of the EU, but not becomes the EU” and wants Poland to stay sovereign. He stresses he will not agree to any further transfer of competences to the EU.
He also makes a pointed reference to Poland’s most important alliances, including with the US.
The last two months since the presidential election in Poland were dominated by repeated allegations of irregularities in counting the votes, raised by some supporters of the defeated liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski.
Responding to thousands of electoral protests from Trzaskowski’s supporters, orchestrated by some of his political allies but not openly supported by the candidate, the state prosecutor launched an investigation that discovered minor counting errors, but confirmed they did not materially alter the outcome of the election.
But with the emotions running high, today’s inauguration will be a difficult political moment for the ruling pro-European coalition government, led by former European Council president Donald Tusk.
Domestically, however, Nawrocki’s presidency is likely to pose a major challenge for Poland’s pro-European coalition government run by former European Council president Donald Tusk.
While the role of the Polish president is largely ceremonial, it carries some influence over foreign and defence policy and a critical power to veto new legislation. This can only be overturned with a majority of three-fifths in parliament, which the current government does not have.