Poland’s new right-wing president Karol Nawrocki took the oath of office on Wednesday and immediately came out with an anti-migration and anti-euro statement.
“I will be the voice of the citizens who want sovereignty and security,” Nawrocki said in his inaugural speech.
“No to illegal migration, yes to the zloty, no to the euro.”
Poland does not currently have the European Union’s common currency and the conservative nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) opposition party, which backed Nawrocki, opposes adopting it.
Nawrocki’s PiS supporters chanted his name and new title after he was sworn in.
The 42-year-old historian, who ran as an independent, won the run-off election in early June by a small margin over Warsaw’s liberal Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski.
The victory marked a significant political defeat for the pro-European government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Apart from being an eurosceptic, Nawrocki is also a supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The new Polish president is expected to attempt to bring about a political shift in Poland.
Nawrocki succeeds Andrzej Duda, who had to step down after two terms in office.
Traditionally, the president in Poland takes the oath of office before the National Assembly, which consists of both chambers of parliament.
-NAN
