In a closely watched vote, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has survived a no-confidence motion in the parliament, with 243 out of 543 lawmakers casting their trust in him. The government coalition, which holds 242 seats and is supported by an independent MP, has managed to maintain its majority. The opposition, however, secured a significant number of votes against Tusk, with 210 lawmakers opposing him.
The no-confidence motion was sparked by the recent presidential election, in which the right-wing candidate Karol Nawrocki won, with the government’s endorsed candidate Rafal Trzaskowski trailing behind. In the aftermath of the election, Tusk announced his intention to hold a no-confidence vote in the Sejm.
The election outcome has been widely seen as a rebuke of the current government, with a recent poll showing that only a third of the Polish population is satisfied with the coalition’s performance. Many have criticized Tusk for failing to deliver on his promises of economic and social reforms.
The government has partially attributed its difficulties to the veto threats made by the previous president, Andrzej Duda, of the PiS party. However, under the new president, Nawrocki, the situation is unlikely to improve, as he secured his victory by appealing to the discontent of rural dwellers and workers, while Trzaskowski, the Warsaw mayor, won the support of urbanites and academics.