Donald Tusk's Government Takes Oath to President and Officially Begins Work in Poland
In the morning of December 13th in Warsaw, Donald Tusk, along with ministers from coalition parties, took the solemn oath at the Presidential Palace. Polish President Andrzej Duda accepted the oath and confirmed the positions of the newly appointed Prime Minister and all heads of ministries. Thus, the new government of the Republic of Poland officially began its duties, as reported by RMF 24.
Before taking the oath, journalists asked Tusk about his expectations regarding cooperation with President Duda, who represents the "Law and Justice" party that lost power. Tusk responded optimistically, emphasizing the importance of working for the interests of Poland regardless of differences in paths and experiences.
"On whether you are the president or the prime minister – you must work for the good of Poland, and everything else should not matter. I think everything will be fine," said Donald Tusk.
In turn, Andrzej Duda declared that he would not veto "anything that contributes to the welfare of the Republic of Poland."
On Monday, the Sejm elected the leader of the "Civic Platform" as the Prime Minister in the so-called second constitutional step, and on Tuesday, the cabinet received a vote of confidence. Previously, deputies did not express confidence in the government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whom President Andrzej Duda had tasked with forming the government after the elections. The vote of confidence for Morawiecki's cabinet received 190 votes in favor and 266 against. Tusk's appointment as prime minister was supported by 248 deputies, while 201 were against.
It is worth noting that the "Law and Justice" party lost power in Poland after eight years during which its representatives led the country's government.
In the October parliamentary elections, the ruling "PiS" garnered 35.38% of the votes, with its main rival, Tusk's "Civic Coalition," securing 30.7%. The "Third Way" obtained 14.4%, the "Left" got 8.61%, and the far-right "Confederation" received 7.16%.
Currently, the coalition led by Tusk holds a majority in the Sejm, comprising parties that secured the second, third, and fourth positions in the elections: "Civic Coalition," "Third Way," and "Left," respectively.
Despite this, President Andrzej Duda nominated Morawiecki for the position of prime minister. Therefore, the vote of no confidence in Morawiecki's government was expected, although Duda's decision led to a delay in the formation of the new government under Tusk by several weeks.