Karol Nawrocki officially took office as President of Poland on Wednesday, capping off a closely fought election in which he narrowly defeated liberal rival Rafal Trzaskowski. In a tweet celebrating his inauguration, supporters declared, “Through storms of hate, he walked with calm resolve.”
Nawrocki, a nationalist historian and vocal critic of the European Union, won 50.89% of the vote in the June 1 runoff election, edging out Trzaskowski, who secured 49.11%. Despite initial exit polls showing a slight advantage for the liberal, pro-EU candidate backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, late results swung in Nawrocki’s favor.
The outcome was widely seen as a rejection of Tusk’s centrist coalition and a mandate for a more assertively conservative agenda.
Throughout the campaign, Nawrocki presented himself as the defender of traditional Polish values, pledging alignment with US President Donald Trump and a harder stance against EU influence. Running under the slogan “Poland first, Poles first,” his message to voters voters was that of someone skeptical of Brussels and critical of the direction Poland had taken under the current Tusk administration.
During his inauguration speech in parliament, Nawrocki signaled no intention of softening his message. He launched direct criticism at the ruling pro-EU government, declaring that the Polish electorate had sent a clear signal that “things cannot continue to be governed in this way.”
He condemned what he described as “propaganda, lies, and contempt” aimed at him during the heated campaign and reiterated his opposition to illegal immigration and adopting the euro. Nawrocki stated he supported a Poland “that is in the European Union … but is and will remain Poland.”
A devout Catholic, Nawrocki closed his address with a patriotic invocation: “May God bless Poland, long live Poland.”
Nawrocki, a nationalist historian and vocal critic of the European Union, won 50.89% of the vote in the June 1 runoff election, edging out Trzaskowski, who secured 49.11%. Despite initial exit polls showing a slight advantage for the liberal, pro-EU candidate backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, late results swung in Nawrocki’s favor.
The outcome was widely seen as a rejection of Tusk’s centrist coalition and a mandate for a more assertively conservative agenda.
Throughout the campaign, Nawrocki presented himself as the defender of traditional Polish values, pledging alignment with US President Donald Trump and a harder stance against EU influence. Running under the slogan “Poland first, Poles first,” his message to voters voters was that of someone skeptical of Brussels and critical of the direction Poland had taken under the current Tusk administration.
During his inauguration speech in parliament, Nawrocki signaled no intention of softening his message. He launched direct criticism at the ruling pro-EU government, declaring that the Polish electorate had sent a clear signal that “things cannot continue to be governed in this way.”
He condemned what he described as “propaganda, lies, and contempt” aimed at him during the heated campaign and reiterated his opposition to illegal immigration and adopting the euro. Nawrocki stated he supported a Poland “that is in the European Union … but is and will remain Poland.”
A devout Catholic, Nawrocki closed his address with a patriotic invocation: “May God bless Poland, long live Poland.”
