The vote in the Sejm
On Tuesday, 20 October 2026, the Sejm rejected a motion of no confidence that Law and Justice (PiS) had filed against Andrzej Domański, minister of finance and economy. Deputies voted 234 against the motion and 204 for it, and nobody abstained. Passing the motion required at least 231 votes, so Domański remains in his post. In total 438 MPs took part in the ballot.
- Against the motion
- 234 votes
- For the motion
- 204 votes
- Abstained
- 0 votes
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PiS MP Zbigniew Kuźmiuk opened the case for the motion and accused the minister of causing a serious public finance crisis. He pointed to record budget deficits, rising public debt and planned tax revenue that did not materialise. Kuźmiuk also criticised the draft 2027 budget, which foresees a deficit of 282 billion zloty, and the unfulfilled promise to raise the tax-free allowance to 60,000 zloty.
Tusk backs his finance minister
Prime Minister Donald Tusk defended Domański during the debate and announced that he would ask President Karol Nawrocki to appoint the minister as deputy prime minister. He argued that if PiS wants a member of the government removed, that person must be a very good minister, and he said the success of Poland sticks in the throat of PiS politicians. Tusk told the opposition that the minister needed no defence and that Poland stood out among all European states on basic economic growth data. He spoke of the minister's work in these words:
“We are an economy that impresses the whole world, and I am very proud of Minister Andrzej Domański's work.”
Tusk also addressed the deficit directly. He said Poland pays a price in the form of a high deficit and public debt, and that the government would keep that debt under control. He added that all large European economies carry higher debt than Poland. Tusk put defence spending at almost 5%, or 7% including security-related spending, which he said equals the size of the deficit.
Presidential office and opposition attacks
Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the President's Chancellery, told Polsat News' Gość Wydarzeń that Poles had nothing to congratulate themselves on with such a finance minister. He criticised the planned promotion in sharp terms:
“Donald Tusk wants to run ahead and make the worst finance minister in the history of the Third Republic a deputy prime minister.”
Bogucki cited a deficit of more than 281 billion zloty and compared debt service costs of 70 billion zloty with 107 billion zloty, which he said applied to 2027. He said everyone pays for the debt the government is taking on. Konwiński, head of the KO club, rejected the criticism, saying the minister who brought Poland into the G20 does not deserve dismissal. He also said average inflation stood at 11.4% in 2023 under the previous government and that off-budget spending of 88 billion zloty sat alongside an official deficit of 85 billion zloty.
Przemysław Czarnek, a PiS vice-chair, said Tusk should have dismissed Domański long ago. He listed price increases he linked to the debt, including 30% for coal, 64% for pellets, 23% for electricity and 26% for heating oil. Czarnek said:
“No one in any civilised government or country can stay in office for more than a day if they miscalculate by 120 billion zloty in just three years.”
The flowers row
Tusk also responded to Janusz Kowalski, who had raised a Super Express report about flowers Tusk allegedly gave his wife for her name day. Tusk said the bouquet was in fact for his daughter's birthday and that he paid for it himself, with no state company or ministry involved. He recalled telling Kowalski earlier not to bring him flowers and that he would receive an autograph instead. Tusk said he was happy with the bouquet and used the exchange to mock the opposition's line of attack.