Polish opposition chant Trump’s name in parliament after US election victory

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Members of Poland’s conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party chanted Donald Trump’s name in parliament today following the Republican candidate’s victory in the US presidential elections. One MP was pictured wearing a cap with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Ahead of the elections, the head of the PiS caucus had suggested that the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk – who earlier this year criticised Trump as “pro-Russian” – should resign if Trump returned to the White House.

However, Tusk and his ministers have recently presented a more conciliatory line towards Trump, and today the prime minister sent congratulations to the president-elect. The US ambassador in Warsaw, meanwhile, declared that “Trump is a friend of Poland”.

During Trump’s previous term in the White House – between 2017 and 2021- he forged a close relationship with PiS, which was then in government, and PiS-aligned President Andrzej Duda, who remains in office until his second and final term ends next year.

This morning, when it became clear that Trump was on course for victory but before the election results had been confirmed, Duda tweeted: “Congratulations, Mr President Donald Trump. You made it happen!”

That contrasted to four years ago, when Duda was criticised for his apparent reluctance to congratulate Joe Biden on his victory over Trump. Many accused the Polish president then of effectively endorsing Trump’s narrative that the election results were fraudulent.

At a session of the Sejm, the more powerful lower house of parliament, on Wednesday morning, PiS MPs applauded and chanted Trump’s name.

One of them, former deputy digital affairs minister Adam Andruszkiewicz, criticised MPs from the ruling camp – a coalition ranging from left to centre right – for showing “zero class” by not joining in. “Your end will come sooner than many think,” he wrote.

On Sunday, two days ahead of the US election, the head of PiS’s parliamentary caucus, Mariusz Błaszczak, declared that, if Trump won, the Polish government should resign because it had aligned itself with Kamala Harris and shown hostility towards Trump.

“The current Polish government will be in a very bad position, because they are bringing Poland into conflict with the US and with the former, and possibly future, President Trump, with whom the PiS government cooperated very well,” Błaszczak told broadcaster Polsat. “After a Trump victory, Tusk should resign.”

In April this year, commenting on reports that Duda was planning to meet with Trump during a visit to New York, Tusk said that “everyone understands that from the point of view of Poland’s security, the security of Europe, the future of NATO, a possible victory for President Trump would probably be detrimental”.

Tusk added that almost every speech Trump made “very clearly shows his rather anti-Ukrainian sentiment, the pro-Russian attitude that we know from the past, reluctance to help Ukraine, a very critical attitude towards NATO”, reports the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

Previously, when Tusk served as president of the European Council, he also enjoyed uneasy relations with Trump. PiS figures have often reminded Tusk of a social media image the Polish politician shared showing him making what appeared to be a gun sign behind the then US president’s back.

However, today Tusk was among the world leaders who sent messages congratulating Trump on his victory. “I look forward to our cooperation for the good of the American and Polish nations,” he added.

Meanwhile, foreign minister Radosław Sikorski rejected Błaszczak’s claim that the government had favoured Harris. Speaking ahead of the election, he said that, unlike PiS, the current administration was “not making the mistake…of betting all its chips on one candidate”.

Speaking today, Sikorski said that the outcome of the election had “confirmed the correctness of Polish foreign policy, which consists in maintaining political contacts with both Democrats and Republicans”.

“I thank both candidates for their warm words about Poland and for reaffirming our alliance,” he continued, adding that he is “in ongoing contact with top security officials in Donald Trump’s entourage”. But Trump’s victory confirms that “Europe urgently needs to take more responsibility for its security”, he warned.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, before Trump’s victory had been confirmed, the US ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, assured Poles that “President Trump is a friend of Poland and the Polish people”, reports broadcaster TVN.

“I can assure you that the close friendship between Poland and the United States will continue,” he added. “Both Vice President Harris and former President Trump…agree that Poland plays a vital role in ensuring security and prosperity in Europe.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s victory was also welcomed by Sławomir Mentzen, one of the leaders of the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja), an opposition party. “Trump is a son of a bitch, but he’s our son of a bitch,” wrote Mentzen. “His victory is the hope that history will be reversed.”

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Mariusz Gosek / X