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New Polish President Defies Convention with US Visit
Poland's newly inaugurated President Karol Nawrocki has made a bold statement in his first month in office, choosing Washington D.C. over traditional European destinations for his inaugural foreign visit. The conservative nationalist leader met with former President Donald Trump at the White House on September 3, 2025, signaling a significant shift in Poland's diplomatic priorities.
Breaking Diplomatic Norms
Nawrocki's decision to visit the United States first breaks with longstanding tradition where Polish presidents typically make their initial foreign trips to European capitals or the Vatican. The move was particularly notable as it was conducted without coordination with Poland's pro-European government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, highlighting the growing political divide within the country.
According to historian Tomasz Nalecz, a former presidential advisor, "This visit showed that the president wants to play a much larger role in foreign policy than is laid down in the constitution. He did this demonstratively without consultation with the government."
Veto Power Aggressively Deployed
Nawrocki has already made extensive use of presidential veto powers, employing them more frequently in his first month than his predecessor did throughout all of 2024. His vetoes have targeted various measures including:
- Relaxation of regulations for wind turbine placement
- Financial support for Ukrainian refugees
- Military assistance to Ukraine
Strategic Partnership with US
The Washington visit served multiple purposes for Nawrocki. It allowed him to thank Trump for his campaign support—an unusual level of foreign involvement in Polish elections—and to secure continued American military presence in Poland. Trump even suggested the possibility of increasing US troop deployments in the country.
Wojciech Przybylski of the Visegrad Insight think tank noted, "Nawrocki started with a big bang by saying no to many things. He is preventing the government from implementing policy."
European Concerns
Nawrocki's anti-EU and anti-Ukraine campaign rhetoric has raised concerns among European allies. His inaugural speech emphasized "a Poland that is in the EU but is not the EU. A Poland that will remain Poland."
Analysts warn that this confrontational approach could hinder Poland's ambitions to play a larger role on the world stage and might ultimately benefit Moscow's interests in the region.
