WARSAW, June 11, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Poland's pro-EU government faces a confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday as it tries to demonstrate it has continued support even after suffering a major blow in this month's presidential election.

The vote was called by Prime Minister Donald Tusk after nationalist Karol Nawrocki won the presidency, prompting expert predictions that the government could become fatally weakened and there may be early elections.

Nawrocki, a fan of US President Donald Trump, is expected to try to bring down the government and boost the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party which backed him.

Tusk, a former EU president, came to power in 2023 as head of a coalition between his centrist Civic Platform, Poland 2050, the Polish People's Party (PSL) and New Left.

New parliamentary elections are not scheduled until 2027.

Tusk will give a speech ahead of Wednesday's vote, due around 1200 GMT according to Polish media, which he is set to win as his coalition controls 242 votes in the 460-seat parliament and only needs a majority.

Nawrocki won the June 1 presidential vote with 51 percent against Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski on 49 percent.

Tusk, who had supported centrist Trzaskowski, vowed to stay on and said the confidence vote in parliament should be a "new beginning" for the coalition government which he promised could do things "better, faster".

There have been tensions within the governing coalition, particularly with the PSL, which advocates for socially conservative values and wants more curbs on immigration.

- 'No reason to question' result -

Poland, an EU and NATO member of 38 million people, is a fast-growing economy and has become an increasingly important regional player since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Polish presidents have some influence over foreign and defence policy but their key power is being able to veto legislation passed by parliament.

This will likely hamper reform efforts by Tusk's government such as the planned introduction of same-sex partnerships or easing a near-total ban on abortion.

Internationally, it could also make ties with Brussels difficult particularly over rule of law issues as Nawrocki supports the controversial judicial reforms put in place by the previous PiS government.

Ties with Ukraine could become more tense as Nawrocki opposes Ukraine's membership of NATO and has been critical of the support for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Nawrocki is expected to begin his five-year mandate formally on August 6 once the courts validate the result.

The election commission has found evidence of counting errors in favour of Nawrocki in some districts.

But parliament speaker Szymon Holownia, a government ally, said there was "no reason to question the result".