On Thursday, the new ministers took the oath of office before President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace .

The President appointed Radosław Sikorski as Deputy Prime Minister, Marcin Kierwiński as Minister of Interior and Administration, Tomasz Siemoniak as Minister-Coordinator of Special Services, Waldemar Żurek as Minister of Justice, Andrzej Domański as Minister of Finance and Economy, and Miłosz Motyka as Minister of Energy. Additionally, Andrzej Duda appointed Stefan Krajewski as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Wojciech Balczun as Minister of State Assets, Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda as Minister of Health, Marta Cienkowska as Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Jakub Rutnicki as Minister of Sport and Tourism, Maciej Berek as Minister of Supervision over the Implementation of Government Policy, and Jan Grabiec as Minister, Member of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of the Committee for Public Benefit.

Duda’s speech: “All speculations are over”

After being sworn in, the president thanked the ministers who had been dismissed from the previous Council of Ministers and focused on security. “I think that today, for our compatriots, the absolutely fundamentally most important issue is security, and I mean it in the very strictest sense of the word (…) It’s physical security, it’s about Poland being stable, it’s about Poland being governed,” he said.

He added, “There is no doubt that the Prime Minister knows this perfectly well.” “At this point, all speculation ends, and Poland once again has a stable, clearly defined government that will continue to carry out its duties. I think this is a fundamental task today for all our compatriots, to make it clear who is in charge and who is responsible,” Duda declared.

He recalled that the president is responsible for state security and ensuring the continuity of state authority. “That’s why the decision to hold this ceremony is immediate,” he explained.

The President on “the most important issues”

The President again referred to the issue of security, which concerns “both the security of the Republic of Poland’s borders and the general security of the Republic of Poland against attack, and therefore the strengthening of the Polish army, its further modernization, and the strengthening of Polish services.” “Security, in a broader sense, is also extremely important, meaning life security. And this is probably what people expect most, besides physical security. Simply that they will have a comfortable, relatively good, and peaceful life,” he said. At the same time, he asked ministers to “keep this in mind when performing their duties.”

“Disputes, clashes, and political paybacks, I think, are of much less interest to people than whether they live safely, whether they live comfortably, (…) whether they have a job, whether their company exists, whether the country is developing, whether the roads are safe, whether it’s accessible. These are the most important issues. And today—as I present these nominations and wish you success in carrying out these missions—I leave you with this,” the president concluded.

Tusk: Mr. President, no one came here for awards

Donald Tusk then took the floor. He thanked the ministers who “have been carrying out an extremely difficult mission over the past few months.” “I would like to thank Minister Adam Bodnar very warmly . He has taken on the toughest, most difficult challenge. These words take on particular meaning in this very place and in the presence of the President. Restoring the rule of law, the foundations of the rule of law, is a task that still lies ahead of us,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

“Effort, energy, good will, and at the same time, gentleness and respect for the constitution were what impressed Minister Adam Bodnar, without exception. When I heard the words of the oath again, those words about fidelity to the provisions of the constitution and observance of the law will probably be more closely associated with no one for the rest of my life than with Minister Adam Bodnar,” the Prime Minister noted.

The Prime Minister then thanked the dismissed Minister of Health, Izabela Leszczyna , who – despite the lack of legislation amending abortion law in Poland – ensured “a sense of security for women in hospitals.” Among her achievements, he cited the introduction of free in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.

“No one came here for rewards, Mr. President. My ministers from day one, including the new ones starting today, know full well that their mission could be interrupted at any moment,” Tusk emphasized.

Prime Minister thanks dismissed ministers

The Prime Minister thanked Krzysztof Paszyk, who served as Minister of Development and Technology, for his patience, consistency, and openness to new ideas and deregulation. He also thanked former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Czesław Siekierski for his expertise and patience, which he put into “endless conversations during the farmers’ protests.”

Tusk also expressed gratitude to former Minister of Culture and National Heritage Hanna Wróblewska, who, he said, took on this role “at a time of general confusion, when basic cultural institutions still bear the scars of eight years of trampling on freedom of speech and media pluralism.” The Prime Minister also thanked former Minister of Sport and Tourism Sławomir Nitras for “his extraordinary energy and courage.”

Addressing former Minister of State Assets Jakub Jaworowski, he declared: “We will find places where your talents and extraordinary energy will certainly find application. I look forward to our continued cooperation.”

“Mr. President, this is not the time for an exposé”

The Prime Minister then told the President that “this is not the time for an exposé.” “In reality, this fight that has been going on in Poland for years for a state governed by the rule of law, for true democratic principles, for a strong place for Poland in Europe, is also a fight for the everyday lives and better lives of Poles,” he said.

He said there will be no sense of security “without rebuilding citizens’ full trust in the state, in the justice system, in politicians as guardians of the constitution, and without this, there will be no sense of security.” “Nothing ends. Every day, service to the homeland and the fight for the fundamental values on which our homeland is founded begin anew, values that are so often violated by people of ill will. I deeply believe that those leaving the government today, and those joining it, will continue to work together for this better reality,” he concluded.