A new poll reveals nearly half of Polish citizens believe President Karol Nawrocki uses his veto power too frequently, amid rising concerns over legislative gridlock.
Karol Nawrocki’s Vetoes Draw Scrutiny
A SW Research poll for Rp.pl asked respondents to evaluate President Karol Nawrocki’s use of the veto. 46.9% believe the president uses it too often, while 33.4% consider his decisions in this regard appropriate.
The survey, conducted March 17-18 among 800 adult users of the SW Panel online panel, employed a random-quota sampling method. The sample structure was adjusted using analytical weighting to reflect the demographic structure of Poles over 18, according to Rp.pl.
Increasing Veto Count
To date, Karol Nawrocki has signed approximately 170 laws and vetoed 29. This pace suggests he may become the president with the most vetoes since 1990.
Some politicians within the ruling camp have already labeled Nawrocki as a “veto machine.”
Historical Comparison of Presidential Vetoes
Lech Wałęsa (1990-1995) vetoed a total of 27 laws, Aleksander Kwaśniewski vetoed 35 during his ten-year term, and Lech Kaczyński vetoed 18 laws between 2005-2010.
Bronisław Komorowski vetoed four laws over five years, while Andrzej Duda vetoed 21 laws during his 2015-2025 term.
President Defends Veto Power
“I have a constitutional obligation to make decisions on every law passed by parliament,” explained Karol Nawrocki in late November. “I make them with full responsibility towards all Poles.”
Nawrocki added that each law is thoroughly analyzed by experienced lawyers and experts, who monitor the legislative process and consider opinions from relevant groups, often including direct meetings with representatives.
Constitutional Limits on Vetoes
“From a formal point of view, the Constitution does not limit the number of vetoes. Theoretically, it would be impossible for the President to veto all laws (except the budget law, against which a veto cannot be used),” stated constitutionalist Dr. Kamil Stępniak to Gazeta.pl in early March.
“Frequent use of the veto is not, in itself, a violation of the law – it is a power granted directly by the Constitution. However, inaction, i.e., failing to make any of the prescribed decisions within the statutory time limit, would be a constitutional offense.”
Overriding a Presidential Veto
A veto can be overturned by the Sejm with a three-fifths majority vote, requiring at least half of the deputies to be present – a minimum of 276 votes. Given the current composition of the Sejm, achieving such an agreement between the ruling camp and the opposition appears unlikely.