Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented on the fact that during a conversation with U.S. leader Donald Trump, Poland was represented by President Karol Nawrocki. The head of government stated that “the constitutional role of the government is to conduct foreign policy, and when the president represents Poland, he should present the position developed by the government.” In reality, under the Constitution, the president’s powers in foreign policy are much broader.
Tusk: “The President Should Present the Government’s Position”
It was President Karol Nawrocki — not Prime Minister Donald Tusk — who took part in a videoconference with Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the leaders of European Union member states. The information was first reported by Telewizja Republika and later confirmed by both the Chancellery of the President and the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.
Tusk later convened a press conference, where he commented on the fact that President Karol Nawrocki had represented Poland in talks with the American leader. In his remarks, the prime minister strayed far from the truth, claiming that the president’s role in international policy is merely “to present the position developed by the government.”
“That’s why the government adopted a position on the negotiations. On Tuesday, we passed this position on to President Nawrocki in the context of his contacts with the U.S. administration. Since the constitutional duty of the government is to conduct foreign policy, when the president represents Poland, he should present the position developed by the government. I don’t have any major objections here,” Tusk declared.
He added that for him “it is important that regardless of emotions and political conflicts, when it comes to matters of security, war, and peace, we must work together — neither President Nawrocki nor I are doing anyone a favor.”
What Does the Constitution Say?
The claim made by Donald Tusk regarding the president’s foreign policy powers is contradicted by Article 133 of the Constitution, which in paragraph 3 states:
“The President of the Republic, in matters of foreign policy, shall cooperate with the Prime Minister and the appropriate minister.”
Additionally, the Chancellery of the President’s website notes that “the duty to cooperate applies equally to the President, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who should jointly establish and carry out the most important issues of foreign policy.”