Karol Nawrocki for president. What will he do for healthcare?
Karol Nawrocki won the second round of elections (winning 50.89 percent of the votes). With the presidential palace, he will gain not only prestige, but also real power – the right of veto, which can effectively block reforms pushed by the parliamentary majority. Issues of worldview, such as abortion, will certainly be in the crosshairs, but also strategic areas – including health care. What can we expect from the presidency of a candidate supported by PiS?
Already in December 2024, when visiting the Żywiec hospital – a facility that had suspended the operation of the admissions office, three departments and two clinics due to staff shortages – Nawrocki emphasised that the public-private model used in Żywiec is an example of an innovative approach to healthcare management. In his opinion, this solution may bring long-awaited breakthroughs.
As a presidential candidate , he declared that the health of citizens would be one of the pillars of his presidency.
– Health care will be my personal concern – he announced, standing in front of the Żywiec hospital. – Every Pole, regardless of where they live and how much they earn, has the right to treatment – he added.
The campaign was not without strong announcements. During the presidential debate on May 23 , Nawrocki announced the creation of the Patient Service Center – an institution that would shorten queues from the stage of diagnosis to rehabilitation.
– I will do in health care what no government has managed to do since 1989 – he declared with conviction.
Now, when his signature will decide the fate of the bills that will go to the Sejm – including the amendment to the reimbursement act and the hospital reform – the question remains: will President Nawrocki keep the promises he made during the campaign? Patients will be watching this closely.
Even before the parliamentary elections, the Civic Coalition promised to liberalize abortion law. This was one of the "hundred specifics" - an announcement of a return to normality and women's safety. But after the elections, the topic has stalled. The government is silent on this matter, and even if it changes its mind - Karol Nawrocki will most likely veto it anyway. The new president does not hide the fact that he is firmly pro-life and does not intend to sign laws that would give women greater rights to decide about their own bodies.
Moreover, Nawrocki clearly distanced himself from even the moderate "abortion compromise" in force before the Constitutional Tribunal's judgment in 2020.
Meanwhile, doctors are sounding the alarm. There are no clear guidelines, and medical personnel do not know what they are allowed to do.
– Instead of treating, they are afraid of legal consequences – says Dr. Bulsa. NIL spokesman Jakub Kosikowski points to the absurdity of the situation: one constitution, different interpretations of the law, lack of coherence even among experts.
The case of the high-profile abortion in Oleśnica only added fuel to the fire.
The new president has declared that he will not sign any bill that increases taxes, contributions and fees. But he is equally steadfast in his opposition to reducing them. On the issue of health insurance contributions, he is repeating the course of Andrzej Duda, who vetoed a bill to reduce them. Nawrocki wants to maintain the status quo – although the system is already creaking at the seams.
During the campaign, he tried to balance – he assured that he would not allow for a reduction in healthcare funding , but at the same time he would not support its increase at the expense of citizens. A political dance on a tightrope?
Updated: 02/06/2025 11:02
politykazdrowotna
