Donald Tusk announced the composition of the new cabinet after the government reshuffle

In Donald Tusk's reshuffled government, with 21 constitutional ministers, Judge Waldemar Żurek will become Minister of Justice, while Marcin Kierwiński will return to the Ministry of Interior and Administration. Andrzej Domański will head the new Ministry of Finance and Economy, and Miłosz Motyka will head the new Ministry of Energy.

Presenting the changes in the composition of the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister emphasized that order, security, and the future are the three criteria that should determine the selection of people and the work of the government today. He added that the government has "no other goal than to do things that serve every Polish family, the Polish state, our security, and our future." He emphasized that achieving these goals requires political order in the country "after the political earthquake that was the presidential election."

"This is not a publicity stunt," Tusk emphasized. "It's time to re-embrace the challenges we faced after October 15th and move with renewed energy toward realizing our beautiful dream of a safe Poland," he added. He emphasized that the period of "trauma" after the presidential election "definitely ends today." He added that the changes also aim to bring order to the situation within the ruling coalition.

The Prime Minister stressed that the government, as well as all Poles of good will, must build "a strong Poland in the face of external threats and firmly, without a moment's hesitation, stop those who objectively or subjectively – because they want to or do not understand what they are doing – support these external threats."

Donald Tusk's cabinet previously consisted of 26 ministers, seven of whom were ministers without portfolio. The new government will consist of 21, of whom only two will be ministers without portfolio: Tomasz Siemoniak, the current Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, who will become the minister coordinating the secret services and the fight against illegal migration, and Maciej Berek, who will oversee the implementation of government policy.

The government will have three deputy prime ministers – alongside Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski, there will also be Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. "We need (...) a very strong political figure in international relations," Tusk pointed out. He added that Sikorski will be responsible for foreign policy, European policy, and "difficult Eastern issues."

Government spokesman Adam Szłapka will no longer be the EU minister. "We are consolidating foreign and European policy," Tusk said, suggesting that this area will once again return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to PAP, the current Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Ignacy Niemczycki, may be responsible for European policy.

The Prime Minister announced that Szłapka, as government spokesman, will help him rebuild daily contact with the public. "I hope my first public meeting will be this week. I will want to explain myself directly to people, get scolded, I know why, but also to make people believe again that what we are doing makes a profound difference," Tusk said.

Two new major ministries will be established. The Ministry of Finance and Economy will be headed by Andrzej Domański (KO), the current Minister of Finance. Miłosz Motyka (PSL), the current Deputy Minister of Climate and Environment, will take over the Ministry of Energy.

Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna (KO) will be replaced by Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda, a lawyer and manager who has been president of "Szpitale Pomorskie" since 2017. Minister of Agriculture Czesław Siekierski (PSL) will be replaced by his party colleague Stefan Krajewski, currently deputy head of the ministry. Marta Cienkowska (Polska 2050), previously Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, will take over the reins of the Ministry of Culture from Hanna Wróblewska.

The new Minister of Justice, replacing Adam Bodnar, will be Waldemar Żurek, a judge at the District Court in Kraków. Marcin Kierwiński, currently the government's plenipotentiary for flood reconstruction, will return to the Ministry of Interior and Administration after a break. Tusk emphasized that both appointments are symbolic.

"Let no one think that (...) the coalition has given up on restoring moral order in Polish justice policy, on the responsibility and accountability of the previous government, and on respect for and enforcement of the law. There will be no sacred cows," the Prime Minister said. He noted that the new Minister of Justice had demonstrated "heroism" under the PiS government.

"I also don't want to recall the actions Minister Kierwiński took in his first days in office after the election. But those who know they did bad things and have not yet been held accountable should know that there will be no sacred cows, no informal immunities, and no unlawful actions," Tusk added.

Instead of Jakub Jaworowski, the Ministry of State Assets will be headed by Wojciech Balczun, president of the Industrial Development Agency, former president of PKP Cargo and Ukrainian Railways.

Jakub Rutnicki, a Civic Coalition MP, will become the Minister of Sport; the previous head of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, Sławomir Nitras, announced his resignation on the eve of the reconstruction.

There were no top-level personnel changes in the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, which will continue to be headed by Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz (Poland 2050); in the Ministry of Culture and Environment, which will continue to be headed by Paulina Hennig-Kloska (Poland 2050); in the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, which will be headed by Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk (New Left); in the Ministry of National Education, where Barbara Nowacka (Civic Coalition) will continue to be minister; in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, where Marcin Kulasek (New Left) will remain minister; and in the Ministry of Infrastructure, where Dariusz Klimczak (PSL) will become minister.

According to what was presented on Wednesday, the Ministry of Industry headed by Marzena Czarnecka and the Ministry of Development and Technology headed by Krzysztof Paszyk will be liquidated.

The 21 constitutional ministers also did not include Minister for Equality Katarzyna Kotula (New Left), Minister for Civil Society Adriana Porowska (Poland 2050), and Minister for Senior Policy Marzena Okła-Drewnowicz (Civic Coalition). However, it is possible that they will join the government. Poland 2050 leader Szymon Hołownia has already announced on the X portal that Porowska will be Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

As announced, the changes at the ministerial level will be followed by decisions to "slim down" the government at the secretaries and undersecretaries of state level, but these will come later. The Prime Minister expressed hope that – as agreed with President Andrzej Duda – the new ministers will be sworn in on Thursday. The first meeting of the new cabinet is scheduled for Friday. (PAP)

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After Prime Minister Donald Tusk unveiled the new government, commentary has focused on, among other things, the promotion of Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. PiS (Law and Justice) claims the changes herald even worse government policies. Businesses, on the other hand, are highlighting the establishment of an economic ministry, though they don't expect a revolution.

After the reshuffle, Donald Tusk's cabinet, which previously consisted of 26 constitutional ministers, will now consist of 21. It will include three deputy prime ministers – Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Minister of Internal Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski will be joined by Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski.

In the government to be appointed on Thursday, the PSL will have four ministries – the new Ministry of Energy, headed by Miłosz Motyka; the Ministry of National Defence, headed by PSL leader Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz; the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, headed by Stefan Krajewski; and the Ministry of Infrastructure, headed by Dariusz Klimczak.

Poland 2050 and the New Left will each have three ministries. Szymon Hołownia's party will retain leadership of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, headed by Paulina Hennig-Kloska, and the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, headed by Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. Additionally, Marta Cienkowska from Poland 2050, previously a deputy minister at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, will head the Ministry of Culture.

In terms of leadership over the ministries, there have been no changes in the case of the New Left – Krzysztof Gawkowski will continue to head the Ministry of Digital Affairs, Marcin Kulasek will remain the Minister of Science and Higher Education, and Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk will be the Minister of Family, Labor and Social Policy.

The position of Deputy Prime Minister for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, and the entrusting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Judge Waldemar Żurek generated particularly many comments.

Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski assessed that Sikorski's appointment as deputy prime minister would raise the profile of the entire Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Dr. Kamil Marcinkiewicz of the University of Wrocław, Sikorski's promotion is the most important personnel change in the government, with the rest being subordinated to coalition logic and increased efficiency.

Sikorski's promotion was criticized by PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, who said Sikorski's very presence in public life was a "misunderstanding." "From the perspective of the current administration (American - PAP), Tusk himself has, to put it mildly, a loaded record, and Sikorski's is probably even more loaded," he stated.

The leader of the Confederation, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Krzysztof Bosak, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that although "a few hopeless people are being removed from the government," they are being replaced by even worse ones. "Judge Waldemar Żurek as justice minister doesn't bode well, only problems," he said.

PiS MPs went even further in their criticism of the nomination. Former deputy minister of justice, MP Michał Wójcik, spoke of it in the context of "judgeocracy," while former minister of justice Zbigniew Ziobro said it was an expression of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's "complete capitulation," and that the new minister would violate the legal order "even more brutally" than the previous one.

Departing Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar, meanwhile, expressed his full support for the new minister. He added that "the change currently underway comes at a very difficult time for the Polish state." "In the process of restoring the rule of law, I can cautiously estimate that we are approximately halfway there," he said in a post on the X portal.

Following the government reshuffle, two major new ministries will be established: Finance and Economy, headed by Andrzej Domański, and Energy, headed by Miłosz Motyka. As announced, this change aims to create a strong economic center and better coordinate policy in this area.

According to Jacek Goliszewski, president of the Business Centre Club, the new government lineup raises hopes for improved coordination in key areas, and the establishment of a Ministry of Economy was necessary. Mariusz Zielonka of the Lewiatan Confederation, meanwhile, assessed that from an economic perspective, little would change. "Minister Domański has indeed been given a stronger portfolio and has more ministries. But such super-ministers have been established before, for example in Mateusz Morawiecki's government, and they didn't produce any significant synergy," he said.

Dominik Kolorz, chairman of the Silesian-Dąbrowa Solidarity trade union, also expressed skepticism about the new ministerial structure. "There was supposed to be concentration, but in reality, there is minimal concentration and a greater fragmentation of competences," he said.

The scientific community, however, appreciated the fact that the Ministry of Science remained separate. Representatives of students and doctoral candidates expressed "great satisfaction" with this decision. Professor Bogumiła Kaniewska, Chairwoman of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (KRASP), told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that she hopes that saving the ministry will be followed by real action, "a signal that the government appreciates the role of science and higher education in the development of our country."

As announced, the changes at the ministerial level will be followed by decisions to "slim down" the government at the secretaries and undersecretaries of state level, but these will come later. The Prime Minister expressed hope that – as agreed with President Andrzej Duda – the new ministers will be sworn in on Thursday. The first meeting of the new cabinet is scheduled for Friday.

University of Warsaw professor Rafał Chwedoruk told the PAP Studio that another government reshuffle will take place. The only question is when it will happen and how extensive it will be. According to the political scientist, if support for the coalition parties in the polls remains at its current level, a change of prime minister will be inevitable. (PAP)

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