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Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian, was sworn in as Poland’s president on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Nawrocki took the presidential oath in a ceremony in the Polish parliament.
He vowed to change the country's constitution to protect its sovereignty in an address to parliament after his inauguration that set the scene for a battle with the government over democratic standards, according to Reuters.
Nationalist Nawrocki's speech began what looks set to be at least two years of bitter conflict with centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who wants to move Warsaw closer to the EU and roll back contested judicial reforms implemented by the president's allies, the conservative Law and Justice (PiS), according to Reuters.
The president has the power to veto laws, leading to the political deadlock already seen under the previous presidency of PiS ally Andrzej Duda, which ended on Wednesday. The president can also propose his own bills.
He did not specify what changes he was seeking, but called for limits on which areas the EU can influence. PiS accuses Tusk of undermining the constitution in his efforts to unwind the court reforms, which the EU said subverted democratic norms. PiS says they made the system fairer and more efficient, according to Reuters.
However, a change of constitution requires a two-thirds majority in parliament. PiS are currently in opposition after losing power in 2023, but hope that Nawrocki's win will spur them to victory at the next parliamentary election in 2027.
"Recently, the Polish constitution has been violated so regularly that we, as the political class, must begin working on solutions for a new constitution that will be ready for adoption, I hope and believe, in 2030," Nawrocki said.