The president’s collaboration with the government hinges largely on Prime Minister Donald Tusk, with the situation fluctuating between more favorable and less favorable, according to the head of the President’s Office, Marcin Mastalerek, speaking on Wednesday.
Mastalerek told Polsat News that any real progress in the relationship between President Andrzej Duda and the government would depend heavily on the prime minister and his ministers.
“I think there will be days when cooperation goes smoothly, and days when it does not,” he noted. “What matters is the ability to advance critical areas like security, both in the military and internal spheres, and energy, including the discussion around Poland’s potential nuclear program.”
He added that the president does not anticipate consultation on every piece of legislation with the government.
Duda-Tusk relations
When asked about the personal dynamic between Andrzej Duda and Donald Tusk, Mastalerek acknowledged that the two men did not know each other before and had not previously worked together in a joint capacity.
Reflecting on the past, the president recalls the years of cohabitation from 2007 to 2010, during which he served as a minister under Lech Kaczyński beginning in 2008, and he draws lessons from those times. He is prepared to cooperate, yet he will defend his own program and will not forget what cooperation looked like then.
“Eight years of collaboration between the president and the government, coming from the same political camp, have ended. Now we will live with one another. Poles will quickly assess who shows good will, who truly wants to manage Polish affairs, and who does not. The Poles are sharp, and politicians ought to be careful and responsible,” Mastalerek commented.
Mastalerek did not disclose the specifics of Monday’s talks between the president and the prime minister. When pressed, he stated that the conversation had not shifted into a personal address and that a simple, direct dynamic would be preferable: “it’s the president and the prime minister.”
Asked whether Andrzej Duda regretted appointing Mateusz Morawiecki as prime minister, given that the president’s public trust rankings have shifted and he has been overtaken by Szymon Hołownia, Rafał Trzaskowski, and Donald Tusk, Mastalerek defended the decision. He argued that appointing Morawiecki kept a lasting tradition alive and allowed the prime minister, whose formation won the elections, to build a coalition. Morawiecki’s effort did not achieve long-term success, as the government formations struggled to secure mutual agreements, ministers, and deputy ministers. In Mastalerek’s view, had the president handed the task of forming a government to Tusk, the early days would have required more time and risked delays compared with other European nations. In his assessment, the outcome to date is favorable for the presidency.
“It’s a good result, and the president is satisfied,” he stated.
Trust Rankings
On the subject of trust rankings, Mastalerek stressed that such metrics do not determine who becomes president.
“If Poland did not have a two-term limit, I firmly believe President Duda would seek another term and outperform today’s potential contenders.”
Thus Mastalerek weighed in on the broader political landscape, noting that the president’s stance remains focused on maintaining stability and pursuing a clear agenda while evaluating the evolving perceptions of leadership within the country.
The head of the President’s Office also responded to Jarosław Kaczyński’s remark that Donald Tusk is a “German agent.”
“I am not aware of any evidence supporting such a claim. I am no longer a spokesperson for PiS or President Kaczyński, so let others defend those words. I would never say that, and I won’t defend it, unless there is proof,” he assessed.
[citation: wPolityce]
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Source: wPolityce