In the media and political bustle there was a new, loud message by erstwhile Prime Minister Leszek Miller, who powerfully criticized Donald Tusk's actions after he obtained a vote of assurance in the Polish Parliament. In a comment on Twitter, Miller stated: “This means that there is no plan B that previously prepared would decision immediately after obtaining a vote of trust”.
His words sparked a wave of reactions among both political experts and citizens following the first days of the fresh government.
Votum of trust – success of Tusk, but does he announce a long-term strategy?
On Wednesday, June 12, 2025, Donald Tusk's government received a vote of assurance in the Polish Parliament. The vote was an initiative of the Prime Minister himself. 241 Members voted in favour of assurance and 210 parliamentarians voted against. No 1 abstained.
The vast majority “for” was achieved through the Civic Coalition (157 votes), the 3rd Way (32 votes), the Left (21 votes) and 1 independent MP. All opposition clubs: PiS (182 votes), Confederation (17 votes), full (5 votes), Republicans (4 votes) and Confederation of the Polish Crown (3 votes).
Although formal success is obvious, critics point out that the deficiency of concrete action immediately after taking up the post can be interpreted as a strategical vacuum.
Leszek Miller: “Reconstruction of the government only in July – nothing to talk about”
Leszek Miller, a erstwhile prime minister and experienced political activist, estimated that the announcement of the government's reconstruction for July was tantamount to the deficiency of a ready-made action plan.
"The key to image reception are the first days built on the well-known political promotion rule "one day, 1 news" – which assumes the reconstruction of the government as a starting point and then all day 1 event building the communicative of the cause, energy and strategical action. However, since the reconstruction of the government is not due until July, there is nothing to talk about.”
Prime Minister Tusk announced that "in July he will announce a fresh beginning after the government's reconstruction", focusing mainly on changing the structure and introducing fresh people. That means there's no plan B that would decision immediately after the Votum of Trust...
— Leszek Miller (@LeszekMiller) June 12, 2025
These words can be taken as a warning, for both the government itself and its coalition partners. In practice, fresh governments frequently effort to act rapidly to show their ability to carry out electoral commitments.
Is hold a failure of communicative warfare?
Political experts note that the first weeks of the fresh government are of large importance to its public image. According to any analysts, the decision to postpone reconstruction for July can be utilized by the opposition as evidence of deficiency of program or organizational readiness.
There are besides voices on the global phase that item the importance of stableness and the fast launch of fresh power. Although there are no direct decisions of the Constitutional Court or the ultimate Court concerning this peculiar situation, the case law on government accountability and transparency of state administration activities can be referred to.
An example is the judgement of the EU Court of Justice on the German Reich (C-26/62), which highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability of state institutions. Although it afraid intergovernmental issues, it can service as an analogy to the current political context in Poland.
Questions unanswered? Tusk answers fragmentary
During the Question Session for the Prime Minister, who preceded the vote on the vote of confidence, Tusk was asked, among others, about issues related to:
- Economic (CPK, State debt, taxes),
- Internal and external security,
- Immigration policy,
- Foreign policy,
- health and education reform,
- Deregulation,
- Partnerships,
- Local investments,
- Social programs.
The Prime Minister did not answer all questions from his place – he left the plenary area after the first break. Fragmentary responses and deficiency of clear communicative may further exacerbate the feeling of uncertainty.
Summary: Formal success, but what next?
Donald Tusk's government obtained the essential majority in the Sejm, which is an crucial step in the process of legitimacy of power. However, as Leszek Miller points out, the deficiency of concrete action after a vote of assurance can be interpreted as a deficiency of plan B.
If the reconstruction of the government does not take place until July, the first days of the fresh cabinet can be assessed as a missed opportunity. In politics, time is money – even more so, image capital.
More here:
Miller attacks Tusk: “There is no plan B”
