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Polish PM outlines priorities after Cabinet shake-up, vows reform, discipline

25.07.2025 13:15
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday laid out priorities for his newly reshuffled government, emphasising national security and pledging further efforts to cut red tape and advance nuclear energy.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

Speaking ahead of the first meeting of the revamped Cabinet, Tusk said that one of the most significant changes would be the introduction of stricter discipline for his ministers in parliamentary voting.

All ministers will be required to vote in line with government decisions, he said, warning that any who fail to comply would be dismissed.

Tusk also said he expects internal disputes within the ruling coalition to end following the reshuffle, which he described as a step toward greater cohesion and efficiency.

The new Cabinet is smaller, with the number of ministers reduced from 26 to 21. Additional streamlining and cost-cutting measures are expected in the months ahead.

Photo: Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

Tusk said one of the government’s top priorities would be accelerating deregulation, including simplifying Poland's complex tax system.

He instructed each minister to prepare a deregulation package for their respective ministries.

Key Cabinet appointments include Waldemar Żurek, the new justice minister and prosecutor general who Tusk said is expected to expedite accountability efforts initiated by his predecessor Adam Bodnar.

"It's about using the powers of the prosecutor general where appropriate and necessary to bring about speedier accountability and restore a sense of justice," the prime minister said.

“There will be no sacred cows, and we will support Minister Żurek in this effort," he declared. "We know how determined he is to ensure that justice reaches everyone found guilty of wrongdoing."

The restructured government also includes a newly created energy ministry with broad powers, tasked with leading the country's push to build its first nuclear power plant and speeding up the development of wind energy.

Premier Donald Tusk wita się z ministrem energii Miłoszem Motyką Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

The Cabinet met one day after President Andrzej Duda swore in the new team, following a sweeping reshuffle aimed at resetting the ruling coalition’s political agenda midway through its term.

The shake-up comes after recent setbacks for the pro-European coalition, including a loss in the presidential election and declining approval ratings.

Tusk has described the changes as a "new opening" for his government as it seeks to regain political momentum with two and a half years remaining in its term.

Unveiling the new Cabinet on Wednesday, he said the reshuffle was guided by the principles of "order, security, and the future."

He told reporters that the overhaul was not cosmetic but meant to revitalise the government’s mandate in the wake of political turbulence.

"There are moments in a country’s history when we must collect ourselves after events that shake the political scene, plant our feet firmly on the ground, set emotions aside, and charge forward with renewed confidence and energy," Tusk said on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, Tusk said the ruling coalition maintained a "stable majority" despite internal tensions following the presidential vote.

Tusk returned as prime minister after a bloc of parties led by his centrist Civic Coalition (KO) won power in Poland's 2023 parliamentary elections.

A former top European Union official, Tusk previously served as prime minister from 2007 to 2014.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP