Poland’s presidential office will establish a council to draft a new constitution, prompting a response from Prime Minister Donald Tusk regarding adherence to existing laws.
Council for New Constitution to be Established
The first members of the Council for the New Constitution, operating under the President of the Republic of Poland, will be appointed on Sunday, National Day of the Third of May. The group will have until the end of Karol Nawrocki’s presidency to prepare a draft of the new fundamental law.
According to proposals from the Presidential Palace, the council will include representatives from parliamentary clubs and caucuses (two people from each club and one from each caucus), a number of experts, and individuals with “different sensitivities, different views, different perceptions regarding law, the functioning of law, and also the functioning of the current constitution.”
“Brainstorming” Session to Initiate Process
“These will not be meetings over coffee and cookies, but concrete, substantive work,” said Presidential Spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz on Friday. “That is why [the President] invites representatives of parliamentary clubs and caucuses, because this is, after all, a decision of a political nature. The constitution is, of course, the most important act, the fundamental law, but it must be worked out within a certain political consensus.”
The process will involve a “brainstorming” session to develop a common project, which will then be formally processed by the Polish parliament according to established procedures, including a potential referendum.
Tusk Calls for Adherence to Current Law
Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented on Friday via X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Karol Nawrocki announced that he will work on a new constitution. I suggest starting with respecting the current one.”
Presidential Response: “Deal?”
Marcin Przydacz, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the President and Head of the International Policy Bureau, responded to Tusk: “Okay, we are working on a new, better constitution for Poland. And you, in accordance with your own proposal, start complying with the provisions of the current one. Deal? PS. Please do not forget about the laws. You must also comply with them. Laws, not resolutions!”
Constitutional Disputes Between Political Camps
The current ruling camp has accused Karol Nawrocki of violating the constitution, particularly regarding the President’s November decision to refuse nominations for 46 judges. Conversely, the right-wing opposition claims that Donald Tusk’s government violated the fundamental law, including changes made to public media authorities in December 2023.
Nawrocki Highlights Need for Updated Constitution
Karol Nawrocki first discussed the project of a new constitution during his inauguration speech on August 6 of last year.
“I look with appreciation at the creators of the constitution of 1997. I am and will be the guardian of the constitution in force. However, today, after almost 30 years, we are in a completely new social and geopolitical situation. Over these almost 30 years, there have been so many disputes over competence. Recently, the Polish constitution has been broken so regularly that we, as a political class, must start acting, working on solutions for a new fundamental law that will be ready for adoption, I hope and believe, in 2030,” he stated.
The Presidential Palace will become a place for national, honest discussion about the constitution of 2030, as citizens need clear principles of cooperation between politicians, protection of the country’s interests, sovereignty, and security, starting now in 2025, to be ready by 2030. The President believes that citizens require a review of the fundamental law, which will soon be 30 years old.
