Polish president meets Pope at Vatican amid political strife back home

Pope Leo XIV today held an audience with Polish President Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The visit by the Polish premiere comes at a time of tension and acrimony in Polish politics between conservative and liberal forces, as well as between their respective values.

The Holy Father, wearing the red mozzetta as a sign of his office as Head of State and the stole to indicate his role as spiritual leader of the Church, welcomed the Polish head of state to the Apostolic Palace on 5 September before the Polish president – a practising Catholic –proceeded to meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations.

The discussions at the Secretariat of State focused on the socio-political situation in Poland, with reference to the values on which Polish society is founded and to the importance of building consensus in the face of national challenges. International matters were also raised, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and broader questions of European security.

The visit comes less than a month after Mr Nawrocki assumed office as head of state in August. Backed by the opposition conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, his election has introduced a new dynamic into Polish politics, setting him in direct confrontation with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the latter's centre-left coalition.

The new president secured office after narrowly defeating Rafał Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of Warsaw, in a run-off election on 9 June. His victory was welcomed by supporters of PiS, who had sought to retain influence in the Polish state following their loss of parliamentary power last year.

Mr Nawrocki has already vetoed several bills passed by parliament, including legislation extending financial assistance to Ukrainian refugees. He has also sought to assert the constitutional prerogatives of the presidency in shaping Poland’s foreign relations, particularly in relation to the United States.

Mr Nawrocki was recently received at the White House on 3 September. During that meeting, President Donald Trump pledged continued American military support for Poland, declaring in a meeting that Washington would “stand with Warsaw all the way".

This has created tensions between Poland’s president and prime minister that have grown steadily since Mr Nawrocki’s inauguration on 6 August. Mr Tusk, who returned to power at the head of a coalition earlier this year, has sought to steer Poland on a more liberal and pro-European course. His government faces more effective resistance from the conservative opposition, with the president now seen as a counterweight within the country’s political system.

Opinion polls suggest the Polish public is closely following while being as eqaully invested in the confrontation. A survey conducted by the Pollster Research Institute found that 42 per cent of respondents believed Mr Nawrocki to be winning the political clash with Mr Tusk, compared with 22 per cent who judged the prime minister to be ahead. Twenty per cent said neither side was prevailing, while 16 per cent declined to offer an opinion.

The poll, carried out between 30 August and 1 September on a sample of 1,000 adults, reflects the sharp divisions within Polish society.

After he was sworn in, the new Polish president called for a "sovereign Poland" and promised to "fight those who are pushing the nation towards decline".

‍Photo: Poland's President Karol Nawrocki receives Holy Communion during a Mass at St John's Archcathedral following being sworn in as the new president, Warsaw, 6 August 2025. (Photo by SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images.)

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