Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reshuffled his Cabinet on Wednesday in a bid to reinvigorate his centrist government ahead of the inauguration of right-wing populist Karol Nawrocki as president.
Tusk said he was rebooting his government to safeguard national order, external security and Poland's future.
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, one of the country's most popular politicians according to polls, was also given the role of deputy prime minister.
Tusk appears to be positioning Sikorski as a potential successor, the daily Rzeczpospolita said.
At the Interior Ministry, Marcin Kierwinski will replace Tomasz Siemoniak, who remains in the Cabinet as the coordinator of special services.
Tusk also announced the creation of two super ministries as part of a broader government reorganization.
A new Energy Ministry will be formed from the existing Climate, Environment and Industry portfolios, to be led by Milosz Motyka.
The Finance and Economy ministries will merge under the leadership of Andrzej Domanski.
The reshuffle will reduce the number of ministries from 26 to 21, Tusk said.
Tusk is trying to regain political footing as President-elect Nawrocki, a staunch EU skeptic, is set to take office on Aug. 6.
Polish presidents hold the power to veto legislation and Nawrocki is expected to wield that authority even more aggressively than his predecessor, Andrzej Duda – another conservative who clashed with Tusk's pro-European coalition.
Nawrocki's presidency could mark a significant shift in both domestic and foreign policy for the EU and NATO member state.
Tusk is also grappling with mounting tensions within his unwieldy coalition, which spans three electoral alliances.
The bloc has struggled to deliver on many of its 2023 campaign pledges, including liberalizing abortion laws and reforming the judiciary to strengthen the rule of law.
"The dispute must end," Tusk warned Wednesday. "All coalition partners must understand that unity is expected."
The conservative opposition, led by the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and its right-wing allies, has rebounded in the polls.
