In a September survey, over 1,000 Polish adults ranked Radosław Sikorski as the top choice to succeed former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, with academics noting he remains the single professional candidate in the current cabinet.
Survey Results on Tusk’s Potential Successor
In September, the Pollster Institute conducted a survey of 1,026 Polish adults to determine who should replace Donald Tusk if he resigned. Radosław Sikorski topped the list with 41 % of the votes. Following him, former Prime Minister Rafał Trzaskowski and journalist Szymon Hołownia each received 13 %. Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz garnered 10 %, while Krzysztof Gawkowski and Włodzimierz Czarzasty obtained 3 % and 2 % respectively. A further 18 % of respondents selected other candidates.
Expert Assessment: Sikorski’s Limited Prospects
Political scientist Professor Kazimierz Kik remarked that Sikorski’s potential for the premiership is low because he lacks a strong base within the Civic Platform. He cited the November primaries, where 22,126 coalition politicians—including members of Civic Platform, Modern, Initiative Poland, and the Greens—voted. Rafał Trzaskowski received 74.75 % support, whereas Sikorski obtained only 25.25 %.
Tusk and Sikorski on the Prime Ministerial Role
Former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, during a parliamentary hallway interview, said, “I have been thinking about whether anyone could be better than me since the first day I served as prime minister, even back in 2007.”
In a radio interview with Radio Trójka, Radosław Sikorski was asked whether he would become prime minister. He replied, “No,” and when further asked if he would replace Donald Tusk before the end of the term, he again answered “No.”
