Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) a senior U.S. lawmaker and recognized human rights policy expert today congratulated new Polish President Karl Nawrocki on his election on Sunday.

“Congratulations to Karol Nawrocki on his successful come-from-behind campaign.  I’m deeply impressed by his character and obvious patriotism, and confident he will be a worthy successor to President Duda, who has defended Poland’s constitutional tradition and the rule of law.

  “Poland has one of the oldest constitutional traditions in Europe,” said Smith who met with Nawrocki at the White House on May 1.  “Poles have fought for their laws, traditions, and culture through the century of partitions and then Nazi and Communist occupations, until the establishment of the Third Polish Republic in 1990. They cherish their freedom and heroic history, and have a deep and lasting connection to Americans—especially and including Polish Americans,” Smith noted.

“As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I’ve met President Walesa many times, and in 2016 hosted President Duda on Capitol Hill. Both men are great Polish patriots. President Duda has done a magnificent job defending the rule of law in Poland under tremendous challenges presented by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his government.  President Duda now hands on to President Nawrocki a presidential office undiminished in its dignity and honor and ready to stand firm against ongoing challenges from Tusk.”

Rep. Smith has served as Co-Chair of the Poland Caucus since its establishment in 2006, and has worked closely with Polish parliamentarians in the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE and other interparliamentary groups. He said that this year’s presidential election in Poland has been marked with improprieties designed to undercut Nawrocki—improprieties that should be investigated.

On May 27, Smith co-led a letter with other Members of Congress to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressing alarm about the EU’s double standard in its approach to Poland’s rule of law, including the Tusk government’s refusal to comply with court orders regarding its treatment of opposition parties and reports that NGOs linked to US donors had illegally funded political advertising in Poland. The congressional letter has not received a response or acknowledgement to date.

“The Tusk government’s democratic backsliding is deeply troubling, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure that U.S. organizations didn’t break any Polish election laws, and that U.S. government agencies or grantees were not illegitimately supporting any of Poland’s political parties. I’ll be requesting a U.S. government investigation of this matter.”

Earlier this year, reports issued by the Hudson Institute and the Polish think tank Ordo Iuris, detailed the Tusk government’s persecution of political opposition, harassment of opposition media, and grave violations of the rule of law. Then-Senator Vance was one of the first to formally express concerns, in a January 11, 2024 letter, about the controversial actions of the Tusk government.

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