Elections in Poland: What powers will the new nationalist president have?

Barely 400,000 votes separate them, but the balance ultimately tipped in favor of the nationalist candidate. After a particularly close second round against the pro-European mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzakoswki, the PiS-backed candidate, Karol Nawrocki, was elected President of the Republic of Poland, according to the results published this Monday, June 2.

This narrow victory (50.89%) is a major setback for the liberal government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk since 2023. The latter had hoped for a victory for the pro-EU candidate to finally be able to implement reforms that had been blocked until now by the outgoing nationalist president, Andrzej Duda.

Cohabitation with Karol Nawrocki , who has already announced that his main mission will be to oppose the Tusk government, promises to be at least as complicated. Especially since the new president has already denounced the aid granted to Ukrainian refugees and accused Volodymyr Zelensky of showing "insolence." Beyond these announcements, what influence can the Polish president have on his country's policy?

While the president of the fifth most populous European country can initiate legislation, he also has the power to veto any bill. Unlike the French system, where the head of state promulgates laws, his Polish counterpart can stop any bill by using this veto within 21 days of a bill being passed.

This veto can be overridden when lifted by a three-fifths majority in the Sejm (Polish House of Representatives). However, in the current context, the number of elected representatives in the ruling coalition would not be large enough to circumvent this presidential veto, a power unique in Europe.

Poland could find itself largely blocked by this constitutional power. Since 2023, President Andrzej Duda , supported by the PiS, has used this power to block 13 measures introduced by the liberal government. These included restoring the independence of public media, expanding abortion rights, and depoliticizing the justice system, among others.

The outgoing president turned every use of this veto into a media storm. In December 2023, for example, he paralyzed the country by blocking the Tusk budget, which included funding for public media and a salary increase for teachers.

Article 126 of the Polish Constitution assigns the president the role of "guardian" of state continuity and respect for the Constitution. This particularly vague mission has been regularly invoked by Andrzej Duda when it comes to opposing progressive measures sought by the government.

The outgoing president has often used this argument, forcing Donald Tusk to prove that he is acting in Poland's interests. He has repeatedly stated that he does not plan to send "Polish soldiers into Ukrainian territory" because the Polish army must defend its own soil. He has also been forced to change his migration policy to prove that he is acting in Poland's favor rather than in the service of the EU.

On the international stage, the Polish president also ratifies and revokes international agreements. Above all, he is the voice of the country's foreign policy and decides which ambassadors it sends to each capital. However, in addition to his anti-immigration and anti-EU announcements, the new president has also multiplied his attacks on Ukraine. Although he has assured that he will maintain support for his neighbor, he has repeatedly insisted that social benefits are "primarily intended for Poles," and not for the million Ukrainian refugees on his soil.

The President is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He appoints the Chief of the General Staff and the commanders of all service branches. Given that Poland spends the most on defense among NATO countries (4.7% of its GDP in 2025) and has 200,000 troops (the largest European army by number), this new status for Karol Nawrocki is particularly significant.