The Sejm elected Civic Platform and opposition leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister on Monday evening as part of the so-called second constitutional step. Earlier, MPs had not given a vote of confidence to Mateusz Morawiecki’s government.

248 MPs voted in favour of Tusk’s election as Prime Minister, 201 were against and no one abstained.

“I want first of all to thank the Polish people. Thank you, Poland, this is a truly great day. Not only for me, but for all those who for those long years deeply believed, even sang, that it would be better yet, that we would chase away the darkness, that we would chase away the evil. And this happened thanks to you”, said Donald Tusk in his speech after the vote.

After the parliamentary elections in October, President Andrzej Duda entrusted the mission of forming a government to Mateusz Morawiecki, who was appointed to the post by the incumbent United Right (ZP). The ZP won the elections but failed to bring in the number of MPs to reach a majority in the Sejm and form a government.

The combined forces of the democratic opposition brought 248 MPs into the Sejm, the United Right 194 MPs, with 18 Confederation MPs completing the Lower House. Under such circumstances, despite numerous announcements, President-designate Mateusz Morawiecki failed to convince any non-ZP MPs to support his government.

Once Donald Tusk’s candidacy for Prime Minister has been voted through in the so-called second constitutional step President Andrzej Duda will entrust him with the mission of forming a government. On Monday, immediately after his election by the Sejm, the new prime minister spoke with President Andrzej Duda. According to the head of the President’s Chancellery, Grażyna Ignaczak-Bandych, the swearing-in of the new government will take place on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Presidential Palace.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński