The president of Poland, Andrzej Duda, appeared to favor his trusted ally, ultraconservative Mateusz Morawiecki, for leading the government. Although Morawiecki belonged to the ruling party Law and Justice (PiS), the party did not hold an outright parliamentary majority to secure the appointment on its own. Duda announced his choice during a televised address while he was still seen as part of the liberal opposition. Meanwhile, Donald Tusk forged a broad alliance with the European bloc, which enjoyed enough support in the Sejm to back his bid if needed.
Duda followed the principle of giving priority to the party that won the most votes in the last election. PiS, led by the outgoing prime minister, was the party of preference. On election night, the presidential office indicated that the head of state would act according to tradition by favoring the strongest electoral winner, even as Tusk began immediate negotiations with potential allies after results were released. Morawiecki would face a vote in the Sejm after the founding session of the new Assembly on November 13. If he failed to achieve the necessary majority, Tusk would have another window of a few weeks to secure support from his bloc. [Citation: Polish Electoral Coverage]
The general election held on October 15 left the ultra-nationalist PiS as the top vote-getter, while Duda temporarily suspended his official duties after taking the presidency. Morawiecki, who leads a faction often described as the hawk wing of Polish politics alongside Jarosław Kaczyński, saw his party secure a certain level of backing in the Sejm. The chamber comprises 460 seats. PiS held 194 seats, and with support from its far-right and libertarian allies, it could still reach a majority with 18 additional deputies. The pro-European opposition bloc held 248 seats, divided among Civic Platform, the Third Way, and Lewica. [Citation: Sejm Composition]
Three opposition parties publicly expressed their goal to form a coalition on election night and have continued negotiations toward a governing agreement. Throughout Duda’s consultations, the opposition bloc urged the president to appoint the future prime minister promptly, arguing that the task should fall to Tusk because his bloc held a parliamentary majority. [Citation: Opposition Coalition]
The Sejm’s founding session took place on November 13 in accordance with constitutional deadlines.
Tusk aims for a path toward European reconciliation
Tusk, who previously served as prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and later led the Council of Europe, began outreach to other European leaders soon after the elections. He signaled a clear intention to steer Warsaw back toward close coordination with Brussels after years of tensions with the European institutions under PiS. [Citation: European Reconciliation Efforts]
During this period, Brussels viewed the Polish government with increasing concern over judicial reform measures perceived as limiting judicial independence and over resistance to immigration proposals. Relations with the European Commission were strained, and EU funds that had been suspended during the pandemic period remained a contentious issue. If elected, one of Tusk’s priorities would be to reverse the more controversial elements of PiS reforms while restoring smoother cooperation with Brussels. [Citation: EU Relations]
In addition to the reform agenda, PiS policies included stronger government actions perceived as political pressure on media outlets and groups critical of the party, including LGBTQ advocacy. Perhaps the most galvanizing issue for opposition unity in support of Tusk was the reform of abortion policies. Poland already faced strict limits on abortion, but PiS had moved to tighten those restrictions further. Tusk’s commitment to repealing or relaxing these reforms energized voters from various strands, including left-leaning groups such as Lewica, and helped solidify cross-party support for his mission. [Citation: Domestic Reforms]