June 11 (UPI) — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk Wednesday won a confidence vote to remain at the helm of the country and avoid early elections.
Members of Parliament in the lower house voted 243-210 in favor of keeping Tusk on as prime minister and keeping Tusk’s pro-EU alliance in place.
The confidence vote was prompted by the narrow election victory of right-wing Law and Justice, or PiS, President Karol Nawrocki June 1, who defeated Tusk-aligned Rafal Trzaskowski.
TNawrocki has veto power over legislation while Tusk’s governing coalition lacks enough votes to override vetoes.
“The challenges ahead are greater than expected,” Tusk said. “We’re facing two and a half years of extremely hard work in political conditions that will not improve, with a president who, at best, will be unsympathetic to change — just like the outgoing one.”
Nawrocki will be sworn in as President on Aug. 6.
Tusk’s coalition won the 2023 election after PiS had governed for eight years. Poland’s next general election is set for 2027.
PiS members of Parliament boycotted Tusk’s address to Parliament ahead of the confidence vote.
“June 1 marked the end of the project called Donald Tusk, just like communism ended 36 years ago. This is the end of the prime minister of illegal migrants, the prime minister of public finance disaster, the prime minister of lies and contempt for Poles,” PiS MP Janusz Kowalski said.
Tusk told Parliament 11.5 million Poles voted for his coalition and its agenda and said economic growth is stronger under his coalition that it was under PiS rule.
