WYWIAD Z PREZYDENTEM. Karol Nawrocki specjalnie dla Interii i Polsat News

Summary

Constitutional Tribunal

President Karol Nawrocki rejected claims that he had “abdicated,” saying he remains committed to serving his full term. He defended his refusal to administer an oath to Maciej Berek, citing unresolved questions about Berek’s qualifications. Nawrocki argued that Constitutional Tribunal judges must take their oaths before the president, not the Speaker of the Sejm. He said he is awaiting supporting documents and will formally respond to the Tribunal’s president. He also warned that he would react firmly if people who had not taken the oath before him began working as judges.

Nawrocki argued that the Venice Commission’s opinions are not binding Polish law, and said the Constitution and rulings of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal should govern the dispute. He described the Tribunal as weakened by years of political conflict but opposed resolving the problem by appointing more politicians. He called for a long-term “reset” and broader agreement on appointments, though he offered no detailed plan and suggested a solution could emerge after the 2027 election. He said he did not consider himself responsible for the dispute’s history.

Relations with the Government

Nawrocki portrayed dialogue with the government as possible but dependent on both sides. He defended his vetoes as a response to what he sees as the government’s failure to respect the president’s role, while citing legislation he said had been improved through negotiation. He identified national security, Poland’s position in NATO, and ties with the United States as issues that could unite Poles.

Foreign Policy and Security

Nawrocki called for tougher sanctions on Russia, saying economic and military deterrence—not accommodation—was needed to influence Vladimir Putin’s government. He said Poland should fulfill its NATO obligations if a member state, including a Baltic country, were attacked. While describing the Russian threat as serious, he argued that it had not changed dramatically in recent months and warned against using security concerns to stoke domestic political fear.

Nawrocki said he hoped a decision on a permanent US military presence in Poland would come later in the year. He described American troops as important to Poland’s security and said preparations required cooperation with the government. He criticized the lack of a representative from the Presidential Palace in the relevant planning group. He also expressed support for nuclear power, including small modular reactors.

Legislation

Nawrocki defended his veto of the government’s digital-services legislation, arguing that it could enable officials to restrict lawful online content on ideological grounds. He said Polish security services already have tools to address harmful online activity and criticized Prime Minister Donald Tusk for linking the veto to recent school attacks, calling that response inappropriate. Nawrocki said he would consider signing a revised bill if it protected freedom of expression. He also raised concerns about other proposed election-related legislation, which he viewed as attempts to influence politics ahead of the next election.

On fuel prices, Nawrocki said he had referred the original bill to the Constitutional Tribunal over constitutional concerns, then proposed his own legislation. He said he later signed the government’s bill so the prime minister could not use the dispute as a reason to delay action, while maintaining that his constitutional concerns remained. He noted that fuel prices had still not reached 5.19 złoty per litre.

Political Outlook

Nawrocki said he was not focused on securing a second term and wanted a government after 2027 that could work with the presidency. He said he meets politicians from across the political spectrum, including Mateusz Morawiecki, Przemysław Czarnek, and Jarosław Kaczyński.

He rejected the suggestion that his openness to dialogue amounted to endorsing Grzegorz Braun’s views, particularly Braun’s statements about Russia. However, Nawrocki said he represents all voters, including those who support Braun, and would back political arrangements that enabled dialogue with the presidency.

Presenters and Contributors

• Piotr Witwicki — Presenter/interviewer
• Joanna Miziołek — Presenter/interviewer
• Karol Nawrocki — President of Poland and interview guest