US broadcaster CBS News said the inauguration could set the country on a more nationalist course and cast doubt on the viability of the centrist government.
The Washington Post called the conservative Catholic, backed by US President Donald Trump, someone who may block Tusk’s agenda, while Politico said he is likely to try to stymie Tusk’s reform agenda.
The Reuters news agency reported that the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), ousted in 2023, hopes Nawrocki’s victory will propel it toward a comeback in the 2027 parliamentary election.
Broadcaster CNN highlighted the new president’s ties to Trump’s MAGA movement and warned of potentially cooler relations with Ukraine.
Britain’s Financial Times judged Nawrocki’s parliamentary speech—vowing to oppose judicial reforms, question EU integration and seek constitutional changes—evidence of a confrontational presidency and awkward coexistence with Tusk.
Right-wing lawmakers chanted "Karol" as he entered, while the prime minister sat unsmiling, the paper reported.
The FT also noted Tusk’s social media appeal for unity after the presidential defeat and his pledge that Cabinet ministers would act as "guardians of the constitution."
The paper recalled that Nawrocki, a former amateur boxer and self-described reformed soccer hooligan, has voiced reservations over Ukraine’s EU and NATO bids, demanding recognition of WWII crimes against Poles while promising continued support for Kyiv’s war effort against Moscow.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP, IAR