Karol Nawrocki
Karol Nawrocki | |
|---|---|
Nawrocki in 2025 | |
| President of Poland | |
| Assumed office 6 August 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Donald Tusk |
| Preceded by | Andrzej Duda |
| President of the Institute of National Remembrance | |
| In office 23 July 2021 – 6 August 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Jarosław Szarek |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Director of the Museum of the Second World War | |
| In office 19 October 2017 – 23 July 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Paweł Machcewicz |
| Succeeded by | Grzegorz Berendt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki 3 March 1983 Gdańsk, Poland |
| Party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Law and Justice (2025) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Gdańsk (PhD) Gdańsk University of Technology (MBA) |
| Occupation | |
| Awards | |
Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki (born 3 March 1983) is a Polish historian and politician who has served as the 7th president of Poland since 2025. Previously, he served as the director of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) from 2021 to 2025, and was the director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk from 2017 to 2021.
Born in Gdańsk, Nawrocki studied history at the University of Gdańsk, earning a PhD in 2013 with a dissertation on anti-communist activities in the former Polish People's Republic. His academic work centers on themes such as anti-communist resistance, organized crime, and the history of sports, a subject related to his own background as an active youth athlete, particularly in football and boxing. Nawrocki's early professional career was closely aligned with institutions dedicated to preserving and promoting Poland's historical memory. He joined the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) in 2009 and gained recognition for reorienting Poland's historical institutions toward a patriotic and anti-communist narrative. In the 2025 presidential election, Nawrocki was chosen as the presidential candidate of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, ran as a nonpartisan "citizens' candidate" and defeated the liberal Rafał Trzaskowski.
As president, he has reflected a broader rightward shift in Poland's political landscape. Since his inauguration on 6 August 2025, Nawrocki has been following a confrontational course with the ruling coalition and its leader, Donald Tusk, whom he considers the "worst prime minister of the Third Polish Republic". Nawrocki strives to strengthen power around the presidency, supporting constitutional reform into a semi-presidential system. His chancellery is made up of PiS politicians and his IPN affiliates.