After left-liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski—vice chair of PM Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform party—lost the Polish presidential election, the prime minister has begun resorting to questionable and desperate tactics to strike back at the opposition.
The victory of Karol Nawrocki, the candidate backed by conservative Law and Justice (PiS), has inevitably raised questions about Tusk’s ability to continue leading the government. Some within his coalition are questioning whether he has become a liability. Rumors suggest that influential Polish MEPs from the European People’s Party (EPP) are pressuring EPP chairman Manfred Weber to consider replacing Tusk if the faction hopes to maintain its influence in Poland. Meanwhile, speculation within Poland points to Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski as a potential successor to Tusk.
Senate Deputy Speaker Michał Kamiński (Polish People’s Party PSL) delivered one of the harshest criticisms, stating in a televised interview: “Nothing has happened that would require the coalition to disband, but everything has happened that should lead to Donald Tusk stepping down as its leader.”
Within the coalition, frustrations toward Tusk escalated when, just before the second round of voting, he actively participated in a smear campaign against Karol Nawrocki. Tusk relied on statements made by Jacek Murański—a controversial figure known for online misconduct, fabrications, and criminal convictions. This move backfired, adding to mounting criticism against the government for inaction and declining living standards.
Predictably, Tusk’s first move after the election loss was to announce his intention to seek a vote of confidence from Parliament. Tusk’s government is expected to secure the vote, scheduled for Wednesday, June 11th. It is unlikely that he would allow the vote to proceed without first ensuring backing from coalition partners. The move appears to be largely symbolic—an attempt to demonstrate cohesion within the coalition and discourage internal dissent. Coalition partners, despite growing dissatisfaction, are reluctant to force early elections, as they stand to lose more than Tusk’s Civic Platform.
Another (old) tactic employed involves targeting critics—including ones unrelated to PiS—through legal action. This includes the recent arrest of two controversial online personalities, nationalists Wojciech Olszański and Marcin Osadowski, on June 4, 2025. Authorities have accused them of various ‘hate crimes.’ Olszański faces 78 charges, while Osadowski is charged with 64 offenses, mostly related to their longstanding history of inflammatory online content. The two are controversial, yet rather cringey and irrelevant.
On top of that Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar has filed a request with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to lift the immunity of MEP Grzegorz Braun, a member of right-wing Konfederacja, who unexpectedly secured nearly 7% of votes in the first round of the presidential election before endorsing Nawrocki. Polish prosecutors allege that Braun has committed several criminal offenses, including exposing a doctor’s identity in connection with illegal late-term abortions and vandalizing an LGBT advocacy installation in Opole. Some would call it ‘taking matters in their own hands,’ but it nonetheless gives a good opportunity for the Tusk government to crack down on the growing opposition.
Investigative journalist Leszek Szymowski hinted at a broader crackdown on Braun, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “A high-level decision has been made to ‘go after’ Grzegorz Braun through legal means … Civic Platform is seeking revenge for his support of Nawrocki.”
Similarly, electoral commission member Ryszard Kalisz has publicly floated legal action against Marta Nawrocka, wife of the president-elect. As the government continues using state institutions to suppress political opponents, further arrests of dissident politicians and officials should be expected in the near future.
The most reckless strategy emerging is an attempt to delegitimize the results of the presidential election. Through his close ally MP Roman Giertych, Tusk is now promoting claims that the election was rigged. This narrative serves to distract from both his own role in the electoral defeat and allegations that Trzaskowski’s campaign was illicitly financed from abroad. However, this approach is highly irresponsible, as it erodes trust in democratic processes. Tusk seems unconcerned with such risks, so long as he achieves his goals—including undermining the authority of the incoming president and potentially governing outside constitutional bounds. If successful, this would mark another instance in which Tusk’s government refuses to recognize democratic institutions, following similar dismissals of the Constitutional Tribunal and the National Council of the Judiciary.
Concerns over these developments have prompted outgoing President Andrzej Duda to speak out:
Warning! There’s a growing impression that post-communists, in alliance with liberal-leftist forces, want to overturn Poland’s settled presidential election and strip voters of their freedom of choice. We must stand firm! We must protect what little democracy remains after December 13, 2023. Watch over Poland!
Even members of the ruling coalition are unsettled. Deputy PM and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz remarked:
If citizens report irregularities at polling stations, state institutions must investigate them thoroughly. Poles deserve the assurance that every vote is valid and accurately counted—but claims of election fraud are unfounded, and no responsible politician should make such allegations. Escalating a political war over this issue weakens Poland.
Tusk’s distraction strategy appears to be working: public discourse has shifted away from his election defeat, and the more radical segments of his base remain mobilized. These events encapsulate his broader approach to governance, offering a preview of what may lie ahead: ever-increasing politicization of the justice system and the steady erosion of democratic institutions in the pursuit of political power.
