Szłapka, a senior lawmaker and leader of the centrist Nowoczesna (Modern) party, will formally take the post after Poland's six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union ends on June 30.
His appointment marks the first time Tusk's administration will have an official government spokesperson—a post he promised to establish during a recent speech in parliament.
"It will be a serious political figure—a smart, capable person with real weight in politics," Tusk said at the time.
Addressing reporters on Friday, Tusk said consolidating communications under Szłapka would strengthen the government’s outreach efforts.
"Starting today, Minister Szłapka will be working with you as the government’s spokesman and the person responsible for the best possible communication," Tusk told journalists.
Szłapka said he intends to be accessible "24 hours a day" and pledged to focus on highlighting the government’s achievements, improving communication strategies and combating disinformation.
"We’ll be looking for new formats, expanding our use of social media, and engaging directly with citizens," he said, adding that one of his first tasks would be building a government-wide communications team.
'Flood of falsehoods'
Fighting disinformation, he said, will be a key focus.
"Every day, we see a flood of falsehoods—some intentional, some just chaotic," Szłapka said. "Our job is to push back with facts."
In a TV interview later on Friday, Szłapka said the role would be a challenge.
"Yes, it’s a difficult job—often a thankless one—but it’s also a big and exciting opportunity," he told private broadcaster TVN24.
He added that the greatest communications challenge would be maintaining unity in messaging among the parties in the ruling coalition.
"We can have different views, but we can’t air internal disputes in public," he said.
An upcoming Cabinet reshuffle, Szłapka added, is a natural time to assess the performance of ministers and resolve disagreements behind closed doors—"not on Twitter, because that never helps anyone."
Szłapka has led Nowoczesna since 2019 and has been a member of parliament since 2015.
In the 2023 parliamentary elections, he won 149,064 votes—the third-highest total nationwide, behind only Tusk and opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński.
He was appointed minister for EU affairs in December 2023.
(gs)
Source: IAR, PAP