Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Tuesday that a vote of confidence in his government would take place on June 11 in the Sejm, in an attempt to strengthen his centrist coalition, weakened by the liberal camp's defeat in Sunday's presidential election. This initiative aims to restore political momentum after the victory of Eurosceptic nationalist Karol Nawrocki, which could block several major government reforms.
Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of Warsaw and a candidate endorsed by Tusk, lost to Nawrocki, a historian and conservative figure, in an election that represents a significant setback for the pro-European coalition in power since late 2023. While this coalition ended eight years of rule by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, the government is now struggling to meet the expectations of its voters.
"This vote is not about continuing what we were doing before, because we know that some things can be done better and faster," Tusk acknowledged, calling for a new dynamic. A CBOS poll published at the end of May indicated that only 32% of Poles still support the executive, fueling criticism of the slow pace of reforms, particularly in the areas of justice, women's rights, and civil liberties.
Tusk's coalition, which brings together left-wing and center-right parties, is regularly plagued by internal tensions, particularly over sensitive issues such as abortion. The government had promised to relax the near-total ban imposed under the PiS, but unity on this issue remains fragile even within the majority.
With Nawrocki's election to the presidency, the risk of institutional deadlock becomes very real. Following in the footsteps of his predecessor Andrzej DudaNawrocki has indicated that he will use his veto power to oppose any attempt at societal reform deemed too progressive, starting with abortion rights. His campaign has relied on sovereignist and conservative themes, evoking the need to "defend Poles above all," particularly in the face of the migration issue.
Tusk maintains a comfortable parliamentary majority, but analysts believe he will need to close ranks and clarify his coalition's direction if he hopes to circumvent presidential obstruction. "It's not enough to share positions; you also need to share a vision," warns political scientist Anna Materska-Sosnowska of the University of Warsaw.
The June 11 confidence vote will thus be a crucial test: not only to judge the strength of the government coalition, but also to assess Tusk's ability to keep his promises in a now more complex institutional context.
