“Poland First, Poles First” – A Year Later, President Nawrocki’s Motto Is Not Just Words, It’s a Reality Poles Can Feel

One year after Karol Nawrocki took the presidential oath on 6 August 2025, the slogan that defined his campaign has moved from campaign posters into the daily practice of the presidency. “Poland first, Poles first” was never intended as empty rhetoric.

Twelve months on, it has become the measurable standard against which his decisions are judged — and against which growing numbers of Poles appear to measure them.The road was never smooth. From the moment of his narrow victory on 1 June 2025, Nawrocki’s opponents in the ruling coalition treated the new president as an obstacle to be neutralized. He was branded a “veto machine.” Relentless political and media pressure followed: sharp personal accusations, attempts to politicize his administration, and the enlistment of high-profile critics.

Yet the sustained campaign failed to isolate him from public opinion. Successive polls throughout 2026 have shown trust in the president remaining robust, frequently placing him at or near the top of national rankings of public figures. Many Poles, it seems, concluded that the attacks said more about the attackers than about the man they had elected.In office, Nawrocki has exercised the constitutional tools available to him with consistency. He submitted 22 of his own legislative initiatives, vetoed 41 bills he judged contrary to national interest or the Constitution, signed 255 others into law, and referred a further 13 measures to the Constitutional Court.

Among the priorities he advanced were measures aimed at supporting families with children, protecting Polish agricultural land, stabilizing energy prices, and strengthening defense-related investment. He has repeatedly framed these steps as practical expressions of the principle that the state’s first duty is to its own citizens.On the international stage the same orientation is visible. Twenty-nine foreign visits, including four to the United States, have been used to reinforce Poland’s security partnerships and elevate its voice among major economies. Military promotions, decisions on deployments, and consistent emphasis on national sovereignty have underscored the priority given to Poland’s strategic interests. Supporters argue that these choices translate the campaign motto into tangible policy: a Poland that cooperates with allies while refusing to subordinate its core interests.Public reaction has not been uniform — Poland remains a polarized society — yet the data point to a durable core of support. Trust figures in mid-2026 surveys hovered in the low-to-mid 50 percent range, with the president frequently outperforming other prominent politicians. For many who voted for him, the absence of dramatic U-turns and the willingness to confront the government when necessary confirm that the slogan was a genuine program rather than electoral packaging.