Karol Nawrocki to take oath as Poland’s president in grand ceremony

Poland is set to formally inaugurate President-elect Karol Nawrocki today, August 6, as he succeeds outgoing President Andrzej Duda. 

The official swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. local time with a session of the National Assembly, convened by Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia, Caliber.Az reports, citing Polish media.

President Duda and his wife will be the first to enter the Sejm, where they will be received by Speaker Hołownia and Senate Speaker Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.

Nawrocki will take the presidential oath in front of 460 members of parliament and 100 senators, after which he will deliver a formal address to the assembly.

At 12:45 p.m., Nawrocki, accompanied by the speakers of the Sejm and Senate, will lay floral tributes at commemorative plaques, including those honouring late President Lech Kaczyński and Pope John Paul II.

Following this, the president will attend a Holy Mass for the Homeland at the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.

Later in the day, he will take part in a ceremonial event at the Royal Castle, where he will be presented with the insignia of Grand Master of the Order of the White Eagle and the Order of Polonia Restituta. A second speech by Nawrocki is expected at this venue.

The final act of the day’s proceedings will be the official ceremony in which Nawrocki assumes command of the Polish Armed Forces.

Karol Nawrocki won the presidency in a closely contested runoff election held on June 1, securing 50.89% of the vote against the ruling coalition’s candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski, who garnered 49.11%, according to the Polish State Electoral Commission.

Born on March 3, 1983, in Gdańsk, Nawrocki was active in sports during his youth, particularly football and boxing. He played for Ex Siedlce Gdańsk and KKS Gedania, and in 2004, he won Poland’s Junior Heavyweight Boxing Cup.

He earned degrees from the Higher School of Business and Administration in Gdańsk and the Institute of History at the University of Gdańsk. He holds a doctorate in humanities and an MBA. Nawrocki is married and is a father of three children, two of whom he shares with his wife.