“The government’s approach is reductionist. They see the president as merely putting a face to policy or acting as a spokesperson, reading prepared instructions,” Radosław Fogiel, an MP for the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party that backs Nawrocki, told POLITICO.
“Representing the country means something broader. The president, as the state’s representative, cannot be limited to a government spokesperson role,” said Fogiel, who is deputy chair of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee.
But the government is adamant that Tusk holds the reins.
“The president represents Poland but presents the position of the state, which is the position of the government, even if he disagrees with it,” foreign ministry spokesperson Paweł Wroński told Polish media, adding: “There cannot be two foreign policies for one state.”
Fighting for power
The battle is part of a broader war over who rules Poland.
Tusk leads a centrist coalition that took power in December 2023 after ousting the PiS government that had been in charge for eight years. Nawrocki was backed by PiS, and his victory in June, plus Trump’s return to the White House, derailed Tusk’s hopes of bringing Poland fully back into the EU mainstream.