Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed his party’s new formation will launch this autumn, while defending Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski’s leadership role.
New political formation set for autumn
The exact date for the creation of a new political party remains unknown, but Prime Minister Tusk confirmed it will happen this autumn. It is still unclear whether the new group will retain the Civic Coalition (KO) name or adopt a completely new brand. However, it is certain that the logo and name of the Civic Platform (PO) will disappear from the political scene after nearly 25 years.
“We will either stay with KO, or there will be a new name,” politicians from both PO and Modern (Nowoczesna) and Initiative Poland (iPL) have stated.
New leadership to be announced
The new formation will also elect its leadership this autumn. Marcin Kierwiński, the Minister of Sport and Tourism, is expected to step down as party secretary general, as managing a major ministry and a political party simultaneously is challenging. “The future secretary general will be decided by the new formation,” Tusk said when asked about his party’s leadership.
Trzaskowski’s role confirmed
Tusk firmly addressed Rafał Trzaskowski’s future in the party, dismissing reports that the Warsaw mayor might lose his vice-leadership position. “I haven’t heard anything about this, and I feel quite competent regarding positions in the Civic Platform. I am proud that Rafał Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw, a very significant figure—not just for me and my political circle—remains a vice-leader,” Tusk emphasized, adding that Trzaskowski will continue as deputy chairman. “I don’t even know where this topic came from,” he noted.
Potential new vice-leaders
It is widely expected that leaders of Modern and Initiative Poland—government spokesperson Adam Szłapka and Education Minister Barbara Nowacka—will also take on vice-leadership roles in the new formation.
Speculation over a Sikorski-led government
Tusk was also asked about media speculation that he might resign as prime minister to form a government led by Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. “I’ve been thinking about this since the first day I became prime minister—back in 2007—whether someone could be better than me,” Tusk responded.
Trzaskowski’s public engagement
Rafał Trzaskowski launched the Campus Academy in Międzyzdroje on Thursday, a scaled-down version of his annual Campus Polska Przyszłości event. This year’s edition, hastily organized after the presidential elections, has fewer participants (around 500, compared to over 1,000 in previous years). On Friday evening, Trzaskowski will hold a 90-minute discussion with three journalists: Agnieszka Wiśniewska from “Krytyka Polityczna,” Wojciech Szacki from “Polityka,” and Piotr Witwicki (Polsat). He is expected to address his electoral defeat and outline his political future.