As Poland marked the 235th anniversary of the 1791 Constitution of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth—widely regarded as Europe’s first modern democratic constitution—President Karol Nawrocki announced the creation of a council tasked with preparing a potential new national constitution.

The new body, which includes several figures linked to the Law and Justice (PiS) camp and is formally open to all parliamentary parties, follows a pledge Nawrocki made after his election victory last May. At the time, he argued that ‘the political class must begin working on solutions for a new constitution, which will be ready for adoption, I hope, in 2030’, coinciding with the end of his presidential term.

Prezydent RP @NawrockiKn: Powołałem dziś korpus — fundament Rady ds. Nowej Konstytucji. Zaczynamy pracę nad konstytucją nowej generacji roku 2030.

Bardzo dziękuję profesjonalistom, dziękuję ludziom odważnym, dziękuję tym, którzy mają różne poglądy — nawet wobec tez, które… pic.twitter.com/pj1SbIPdyN

— Kancelaria Prezydenta RP (@prezydentpl) May 3, 2026

In his anniversary speech, Nawrocki framed the 1791 constitution as a historical example of Poland’s capacity for renewal. He argued that it demonstrated ‘Poles’ profound capacity for self-correction’ and was intended to give the state ‘a chance of survival’. Drawing a parallel to the present, he stated that Poland’s current challenges are ‘no longer merely political; they are systemic problems’.

‘It cannot go on like this, with power in Poland split between two centres,’ Nawrocki said, referring to the ongoing institutional conflict between the presidency and the government. ‘State institutions, which should be enduring and strong, are being drawn into political and partisan battles, and the system of rule of law…is producing further chaos and further social conflicts,’ he added.

Since taking office, Nawrocki has been in persistent conflict with Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, vetoing an unusually high number of legislative proposals and contributing to gridlock on key issues such as judicial reform, defence policy, and financial regulation. Tusk reacted to the initiative by suggesting that the president should begin by ‘respecting the current constitution’.

Pan @NawrockiKn ogłosił, że będzie pracował nad nową konstytucją. Proponuję zacząć od przestrzegania aktualnej.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) May 1, 2026

Although no detailed draft has been presented, the Polish right—centred around Nawrocki and PiS—has outlined several key directions for constitutional reform. These include strengthening the presidency and moving Poland toward a more semi-presidential system, as well as reasserting national sovereignty by limiting the scope of European Union influence and reinforcing the primacy of the Polish constitution over external legal frameworks.

Another core objective is an institutional reset, particularly in the judiciary, following years of conflict over court reforms and competing claims of legal legitimacy between PiS and Tusk’s Civic Platform (KO).

However, the political reality makes constitutional change highly unlikely in the short term. Amending Poland’s constitution requires a two-thirds majority in the Sejm, which Nawrocki currently lacks, as Tusk’s broad coalition—from the left to the centre right—holds a parliamentary majority.

Looking ahead to the 2027 parliamentary election, the balance of power remains fluid. Civic Platform (KO) is currently polling around 30–34 per cent, ahead of PiS at 25–30 per cent, while the hard right-libertarian Konfederacja stands at approximately 15 per cent. KO coalition partners PSL and Poland 2050 are polling below the parliamentary threshold, while smaller right-wing formations such as the Confederation of the Polish Crown (KKP), at around 7 per cent, could further fragment the conservative vote.

‘Konfederacja is widely expected to play a kingmaker role’

Konfederacja is widely expected to play a kingmaker role, as it did in the 2025 presidential race, placing significant influence over any future constitutional reform in its hands. Speaking to Hungarian Conservative in 2025, party leader Krzysztof Bosak stated that Konfederacja would not ‘destroy its political project’ merely to join a government, adding that if coalition negotiations take place, the party would act ‘assertively and independently’.

Earlier, Konfederacja responded to Nawrocki’s constitutional push by supporting the broader idea of systemic reform, while arguing that the initiative itself is politically premature and lacks real legislative feasibility under current parliamentary conditions.

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