Andrzej Duda has no plans to establish his own party, fight for leadership in Law and Justice (PiS), or take part in other strictly political undertakings – according to a source close to the former president, cited by the Polish Press Agency (PAP). The politician intends to break the pattern of a “presidential retirement.”
People from the former president’s close circle and his chancellery emphasize in conversations with PAP that Duda has repeatedly stressed in private talks that he does not want to follow the path of his predecessors and intends to break the “presidential retirement” scheme.
A source from the leadership of Duda’s former chancellery points out that he reluctantly shared his plans and rarely spoke about what he intended to do after August 6. The only recurring theme in conversations was the idea of establishing an international think tank or institute covering the Three Seas Initiative region, bringing together political and business circles from this part of Europe.
During his last meeting with journalists, three days before the end of his presidency, Duda referred to the idea of setting up such an organization, clearly stressing, however, that so far he had not taken any specific legal steps in that direction, such as registering it.
According to a PAP source, in recent months, both people from within the chancellery and outside of it encouraged the president to take part in various strictly political ventures, but Duda reportedly showed no interest.
Another source from his close circle confirms this, adding that the ex-president believes he can engage in public life “without being a party man.”
PAP’s interlocutors from Duda’s circle agree that he does not see himself as a party activist or organizer of political projects. They also consider it unlikely that he would found his own political party or fight in the future for leadership in PiS. For now, they say, the former president is mainly focused on promoting his book It’s Me and opening offices in Kraków and Warsaw. However, they add that this is certainly not the end of Duda’s activity and that “we will hear more about him.”
Another PAP interlocutor linked to PiS also believes that it is unlikely Duda will form his own party. Instead, he might take on the role of “a man who will support the right through his various public appearances.”
“He performs well, but building structures is not his strength. He is not someone who would find himself in that. (…) The circle of Duda’s closest associates, as well as people who have known him for a long time, deny that he would build anything like that,” said a PAP source connected to PiS.
In addition, as a Law and Justice politician points out, the idea of Duda becoming prime minister in a possible future PiS government – as the interlocutor noted – “also seems rather unlikely.”
What is certain, however, is that the former president will not return to work at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University, where he had been employed since 1997 and where he was on unpaid leave after becoming president.
Like every former head of state, Duda is entitled to protection from the State Protection Service (SOP), along with a car, as well as a lifelong presidential pension. He will receive it regardless of whether he takes up employment. The pension amounts to 75% of the base salary of the sitting president – currently around PLN 18,500 gross per month – which translates into a pension of over PLN 13,700.