King Frederik’s visit amid political turmoil in Poland

During a business promotion visit to Warsaw, Poland, president Andrzej Duda warmly received King Frederik. Despite appearances, Poland is experiencing turmoil, with Duda’s recent actions heightening political tensions. Conflict between president Duda and prime minister Donald Tusk’s coalition government has escalated, leading to unrest among the Polish population, according to Poland expert Jens Mørch. Duda exacerbated the dispute by pardoning associates Mariusz Kaminski and Maciej Wasiker, who were convicted of abuse of power, a decision that was revoked by the country’s supreme court. The president’s party accuses the new EU-friendly government of violating principles of rule of law. Additionally, the government aims to undo a controversial judicial reform enacted by the prior PiS administration, which Duda has yet to approve, despite EU concerns over judicial independence.