Tusk in wings as Morawiecki exits stage right

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki lost a vote of no confidence on Monday 11 December, effectively marking the end of eight years of governance by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party.

The political landscape is now set to change with the emergence of a broad coalition of pro-EU parties, spearheaded by Donald Tusk, a former European Council president.

Tusk has committed to repairing strained relations between Warsaw and Brussels. One of his key goals is to unlock billions of euros in funding that have been withheld from Poland by the EU due to concerns over rule of law violations.

The vote in the parliament was decisive, with 266 out of 456 members expressing their lack of confidence in Morawiecki, while 190 supported him. This shift in power reflects the results of the October 15 election, which saw the alliance of parties led by Tusk gaining a majority.

PiS faced criticism for undermining the independence of the judiciary, transforming state-owned media into a propaganda platform, and promoting prejudice against minority groups, including immigrants and the LGBTQI+ community.

The right-wing party argues that it protected Poland’s sovereignty and traditions from outside influence, while improving the living standards of many Poles through new welfare benefits and a minimum wage hike.

Public interest in the proceedings of Poland’s parliament has surged dramatically since Tusk’s election victory, Reuters noted, evident from the over a million subscriptions to the parliament’s YouTube channel following the October 15 election.

In an unprecedented move, a cinema in Warsaw broadcast today’s parliamentary session live. The event generated such immense interest that approximately 2,000 people were on a waiting list for tickets.