Polish PM Tusk’s party holds presidential primary to choose candidate

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist Civic Coalition is holding a primary on Friday to select a candidate to run in the nation’s presidential election next year.

Party members are choosing between Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski to run in the election.

The winner of Friday’s contest will face candidates in Poland’s presidential election in the spring. The date has not yet been announced but a first round is set to be held in May, and a possible runoff two weeks later if no candidate wins an outright majority in the first round.

The conservative incumbent, President Andrzej Duda, is set to finish his second term in August 2025, and is unable to run again under the Polish constitution.

Tusk dismissed reports that he would consider running for the role, posting on X: “It will be someone who, first, is best suited for the office, second – has the best chance of winning, and third — it won’t be me. Really!”

Having an ally in the position is a priority for the Polish PM so that he can fulfil his political agenda. Currently Tusk is hampered by Duda, who has veto power over legislation.

Warsaw mayor Trzaskowski already ran for president in 2020, and narrowly lost to Duda. He has long been seen as the obvious candidate for Tusk’s party, but was recently challenged by Sikorski, the foreign minister.

Sikorski, who has also served as a defence and foreign minister in past governments and has ties in Washington, has promoted his substantial experience in security and diplomacy. He was also endorsed in recent days by a popular former left-wing president, Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Tusk is scheduled to announce the winner of the Civic Coalition’s primary on Saturday morning in Warsaw.

Civic Coalition is led by Tusk’s party Civic Platform and also includes smaller parties including the Greens.