Arkadiusz Mularczyk was elected national MP for Law and Justice in 2005 and served 5 terms. In 2022-23, he was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mularczyk was elected MEP in 2024.
During Karol Nawrocki’s election night, despite exit polls showing Trzaskowski as the winner, the atmosphere seemed confident. Why were you so sure of victory?
I was present at Karol Nawrocki’s election night. I wouldn’t say there was certainty of victory. It’s true that Karol Nawrocki said openly: “We will win,” but within the campaign team, the prevailing mood was rather one of cautious optimism. I believe this came from experience – our political camp has almost always been underestimated in election polls. The negative campaign directed against Karol Nawrocki caused many of our voters to hide their support from pollsters. That’s why I find it even harder to understand why Rafał Trzaskowski was so eager to celebrate his “victory” given such a narrow margin. It’s become a joke in Poland now that he was president for two hours.
Karol Nawrocki is the new president of Poland – now what? Do you think Tusk’s coalition government is in danger?
At this moment, we cannot be certain that Donald Tusk’s government will last until the end of its term – and that’s still 2.5 years away. We are already seeing serious internal tensions within the coalition and finger-pointing over Rafał Trzaskowski’s defeat. The red card voters showed the current government does not bode well for the coalition’s stability.
The possibility of early elections cannot be ruled out, although Donald Tusk’s initial remarks following the announcement of the results suggest he has no intention of stepping down – despite the major image crisis his camp is now facing. It seems to me the defeated camp will try to hold on to power.
Could this victory put an end to Tusk’s persecution of conservative media and politicians?
There is turmoil in Tusk’s coalition and efforts to find someone to blame for the defeat. However, Donald Tusk’s post-election stance shows that he fails to recognize that it was the abuse of the law and persecution of the opposition that helped bring about Karol Nawrocki’s victory.
This campaign – and the one in the United States – has shown that new media and the internet are becoming increasingly important. Traditional media still play a significant role, yet journalists from conservative outlets are still not allowed into government press conferences. Opposition politicians continue to be targeted. I fear that, instead of reflection and course correction, the desire for retaliation from the ruling camp may now grow stronger following this defeat.
Leaders of Confederation, such as Bosak and Mentzen, supported Nawrocki, which proved key to victory. Is cooperation between PiS and Confederation possible?
We share many programmatic points with Confederation. Before the second round, Karol Nawrocki explicitly endorsed the demands put forward by Confederation leaders. The election result showed that cooperation is possible – and more importantly, that such a broad unification of the right against the harmful liberal-left government had never occurred before.
Of course, there are differences between us, but on the vast majority of key issues – Poland’s sovereignty, the approach to the European Union, demands for reparations from Germany, defense of the polish zloty, opposition to illegal migration, and resistance to the leftist ideological agenda — we are aligned. These elections clearly demonstrated that cooperation between our groups is not only possible but can be highly effective.
Do you think Ursula von der Leyen is pleased with the election outcome?
Of course not. The congratulations Ursula von der Leyen offered to Karol Nawrocki were purely ceremonial, though important – in Poland, there were fears the results might be challenged, as happened in Romania a few months ago. The President of the European Commission is known for interfering in the domestic electoral processes of EU member states – she did so before the elections in Italy, after the elections in Romania, and even before Poland’s 2023 elections, openly wishing Donald Tusk a return to power.
Karol Nawrocki represents views that, on many key issues, are in direct opposition to the political line promoted by Ursula von der Leyen. We’re talking here about sovereignty of member states, migration policy, ideology, and the role of European institutions. So I absolutely don’t believe his election brings her any joy. Quite the opposite – it is a clear signal that Europeans, including Poles, are increasingly choosing a path independent of the Brussels dictate.
What are the consequences of Karol Nawrocki’s victory for Europe?
Karol Nawrocki’s victory demonstrates the growing resistance in Europe to the EU’s centralist and ideological agenda. More and more citizens – in other countries too – are voting for conservative candidates grounded in common sense, as confirmed by recent elections in Germany and Portugal.
For Europe, this means a stronger voice for countries demanding more sovereignty, less bureaucracy, and stronger transatlantic ties. Poland, as the largest country in Central Europe, should continue developing the Three Seas Initiative and strengthen relations with the United States – especially now that Donald Trump has returned to power.
Nawrocki has spoken in support of demanding compensation from Germany for World War II. You know this matter well – has there been any progress with the German side?
The report I prepared was the beginning of the process of pursuing reparations from Germany. We have consistently brought attention to this issue, both domestically and abroad. While the German government still officially considers the matter closed, it’s no longer possible to say that nothing is changing.
Today, Germany can no longer ignore this issue as it did for years. At every high-level visit – by the chancellor or federal ministers – they must now face questions about restitution to Poland for war damages. We are also seeing a shift in German public opinion – more and more citizens are realizing their country has never fully accounted for World War II, largely due to years of silence in their education system.
Karol Nawrocki spoke clearly and firmly on this issue during the campaign. As the former head of the Institute of National Remembrance, he fully understands the historical and moral importance of this matter. That’s why I’m convinced the reparations issue will continue and gain new momentum. It’s a long-term process that began seven years ago and must progress further under the new president. I am confident that sooner or later, we will force Germany to sit down at the table and negotiate a new Polish-German treaty.
