Poland’s president-elect wants North Atlantic Treaty Organisation bases, talks on Ukraine

August 6 Poland’s newly sworn in President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday the country needs a strengthening of its safety guarantees and increasing of the presence of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in the country, as well as an adjustment to its foreign policy, but no revolution.

Duda had earlier said he opposes Poland’s entry into the eurozone “so long as the standard of living of Poles remains below that of Germans or the Dutch”.

Controversial issues such as a bill on artificial insemination and growing pressure from the European Union on climate reform have proven hard to swallow for many Polish voters in recent months.

Andrzej Duda won the presidential elections in Poland on May 24, 2015.

While Szydlo has toured Poland in the same bus used by Duda in his campaign, she’s struggling to gain traction with voters even as her party takes a commanding lead in opinion polls.

One of his primary concerns is Poland’s security alongside Ukraine, which is embattled with Russia-backed separatist insurgents who are rebelling against the country’s westward-leaning government.

He said he hoped that “that would be guaranteed explicitly” at the next North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Warsaw next year.

Some officials insisted Tusk had been invited to the ceremony, but aide Pawel Gras told PAP agency that Tusk had no invitation from Duda and was “respecting” that decision.

The president of the central European powerhouse of 38 million people has limited powers, which include steering defence and foreign policy and the right to veto legislation. In his speech Thursday he appealed for mutual respect and cooperation.

Duda was sworn in before the National Assembly of lawmakers and senators at the Parliament building, in the presence of the government and of his predecessor, Bronislaw Komorowski. He will also be able to initiate his own bills.

Duda’s electoral victory in May over the well-liked Komorowski was a surprise, and a warning to the ruling coalition that it may lose power in October general elections.