Conservative Karol Nawrocki, who made Holocaust revisionism part of his campaign, was inaugurated Wednesday as Poland’s new president, which could set the country on a more nationalist course and cast doubt on the viability of the centrist government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Welcomed to the Sejm, Poland’s parliament, by uproarious chants of “Karol, Karol” and rhythmic clapping on Wednesday, Nawrocki raised his right hand and took the oath of office to kick off a five-year term.
“The free choice of a nation has put me before you today,” Nawrocki said in a raspy, deep voice during his inauguration speech.
He lashed out at “electoral propaganda” and “lies” during the campaign that culminated in the June 1 runoff vote, but added: “As a Christian, I forgive with peace of mind and from the bottom of my heart all this contempt, and what happened during the elections.”
He alluded to Poland’s membership in the 27-member European Union and Poland’s role in NATO as an indication of his international agenda. Poland has strongly supported Ukraine in its defense against Russia since President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade its southern neighbor three and a half years ago.
“I will of course support relations within the European Union, but I will never agree to the European Union taking competences away from Poland, especially in matters that are not enshrined in the European treaties,” he said.
Nawrocki said he would “strive to make the Polish army the largest NATO force in the European Union” and said Poles were “responsible for building the strength of NATO’s eastern flank.”
Nawrocki’s supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional, patriotic values. Many of them oppose abortion and LGBTQ+ visibility and say Nawrocki reflects the values they grew up with.
Most day-to-day power in Poland rests with the prime minister, chosen by the parliament. However, the president holds the power to influence foreign policy and veto laws. He also signs off on awarding professorships, which could allow him to influence the study of the Holocaust and antisemitism.
Nawrocki, who was supported by US President Donald Trump ahead of a narrow victory in a runoff election in June, is a 42-year-old historian who had no political experience prior to campaigning. He was not even a political party member until being approached by the conservative Law and Justice party that governed Poland from 2015 to 2023.
Law and Justice promoted historical narratives about Polish victimhood and resistance to the Nazis, while delegitimizing research on Polish antisemitism or Poles who killed Jews.
In 2018, the country passed a law that outlawed accusing Poland or the Polish people of complicity in Nazi crimes. Although the infraction was downgraded from a crime punishable with three years in prison to a civil offense, critics say it had a chilling effect on historical research. And in 2021, the country essentially stopped future restitution to the heirs of property seized by the Nazis.
Nawrocki has led the Institute of National Remembrance, which gained a reputation for advancing nationalist narratives about the Holocaust under the Law and Justice government. He centered that version of history in his campaign.
The US conservative group CPAC held its first meeting in Poland during the campaign to give him a boost. Kristi Noem, the US Homeland Security secretary and a Trump ally, praised Nawrocki and urged Poles to vote for him.
His campaign echoed themes popular on the US right. A common refrain from his supporters is that Nawrocki will restore “normality,” as they believe Trump has done. US flags appeared at his rallies.
One hot-button issue for Nawrocki is the 2021 trial of historians Jan Grabowski and Barbara Engelking, who were accused of defaming a late Polish mayor in their book about Polish collaboration with the Germans, “Night Without End.” The scholars appealed and won the case, but they have attracted fury from some right-wing politicians like Nawrocki.
And his inauguration comes as Israel has chided Tusk for referencing “the hell of World War II” while accusing Israeli politicians of causing starvation in Gaza.
Nawrocki’s quick political rise has not been without controversy, with reports linking him to underworld figures whom he met while boxing or working as a hotel security guard in the past.
During the campaign, he also sought favor from Grzegorz Braun, a far-right candidate who came in third and made antisemitism a feature of his campaign, asking his rivals in a televised debate last month what they planned to do about the “Judaization” of Poland. In 2023, Braun used a fire extinguisher to blow out Hanukkah candles in parliament and violently stormed a lecture by Grabowski. This year, he disrupted a moment of silence for the Holocaust to denounce “Jewish genocide in Gaza.” His campaign posters showed him posing with a fire extinguisher.
Nawrocki told Braun that he would fight “all the disgusting attacks” on Poland by Holocaust scholars, and had previously promised to end the tradition of lighting Hanukkah candles in the presidential palace.
Nawrocki has also been linked to a scandal involving the acquisition of a Gdansk apartment from a retiree. Allegations suggest Nawrocki promised to care for the man in return but failed to fulfill the commitment, leading the man to end up in a publicly funded retirement home.
Nawrocki’s shifting explanations raised questions about his transparency and credibility. After the scandal erupted, he donated the apartment to a charity.