Poland’s president-elect Karol Nawrocki said he opposes Ukraine’s European Union membership at this time, according to an interview with Hungarian publication Mandiner.
“Currently, I am against Ukraine’s entry into the European Union,” Nawrocki said when asked about Brussels’ push for accelerated Ukrainian accession procedures.
The president was elected late in May, securing 50.89% of votes in the second round against Rafał Trzaskowski’s 49.11%.
He emphasized in the interview with Mandiner that Poland must support Ukraine strategically while protecting its own interests. Nawrocki argued that Ukraine must understand “other countries, including Poland and Hungary and other European countries, also have their own interests.”
He cited specific Polish concerns, including the exhumation of Volhynian massacre victims and protecting Polish agriculture from what he termed “unfair competition” with Ukraine. “During the campaign I did not agree, and as president I will not agree to unfair competition with Ukraine against Polish agriculture or the logistics sector,” Nawrocki said.
Despite his EU stance, Nawrocki described Russia as the region’s primary threat. “For me as an anti-communist, and in my opinion for the entire region, the greatest threat is the Russian Federation. This is a post-imperial, neo-communist state headed by Vladimir Putin, a war criminal,” he said.
The president-elect revealed personal stakes in the war, noting Russian authorities pursue him with criminal charges. “I am very critical of the Russian Federation, where, incidentally, they persecute me as president of the Institute of National Memory. Five years in prison camp threatens me,” according to Mandiner.
Nawrocki acknowledged Poland’s leading role in supporting Ukraine under outgoing President Andrzej Duda. However, he argued this support justifies Poland’s right to protect its interests. He called for “compromise and consensus” on contentious issues between the neighboring countries.
The president-elect, who takes office 6 August, previously said in January he saw Ukraine “neither in the EU nor in NATO.” Ukraine’s foreign ministry then rejected those comments as “biased and manipulative.”
Nawrocki’s position contrasts with the current government led by Donald Tusk, whom he criticized throughout the campaign. The president-elect promised to restore “balance” to Polish politics and serve as a voice for citizens whose concerns “are not heard in Donald Tusk’s Poland.”