Andrzej Duda was absent from the inauguration, a day later he was on the slope. Donald Tusk comments: you could have said it straight away, in human terms, everyone would have understood

Prime minister Donald Tusk he wrote on Saturday afternoon on the X platform that “the explanation regarding the absence of the President at the inauguration of the Polish Presidency was complicated.” “And you could have said it straight away in human terms, everyone would understand,” he added. He ended his entry with the words: “Safe skiing, Mr. President!”

>> “The president was expected”, but he did not come. “We were ready until the last minute” <<

On Friday evening, a gala inaugurating the Polish Presidency of the EU Council took place at the Grand Theater in Warsaw. President Andrzej Duda did not attend, despite an official invitation. The head of state was represented at the event by presidential advisor Wojciech Gerwel.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, an Internet user sent it to the editorial office Contact24 photo of Andrzej Duda in ski clothes on the slope in Kluszkowce. As the Internet user added, the president is accompanied by at least two bodyguards. The president's presence on the slope was confirmed by a representative of the Czorsztyn Ski center in Kluszkowce in an interview with tvn24.pl.

Undersecretary of State in the Prime Minister's Office Agnieszka Rucińska announced on the X platformthat the official invitation to the opening gala of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, signed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, was sent to the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland on December 9, 2024. She added that on December 31, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister received a reply that “the president will be represented by the deputy head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Piotr Ćwik.” “Everything in accordance with the procedures,” Rucińska emphasized.

However, the head of the presidential office, Małgorzata Paprocka, in a message received from her by TVN24's “Fakty po afternoon” reporter Piotr Parol, said that “Mr. President will be represented by Mr. Advisor Wojciech Gerwel – an expert in foreign policy and international relations.” “After sending the invitation, there was no contact with the Chancellery of the Prime Minister or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on this matter. It can be concluded that it was not an important event for the organizers,” she wrote.

The president is known for his fondness for this winter sport. In April 2023, Andrzej Duda was skiing from Kasprowy Wierch. He was dressed in a red jumpsuit with the word “Poland” on his pants and an eagle on his shoulder. He was accompanied by leading Polish alpine skiers, including Maryna Gąsienica-Daniel and Magdalena Łuczak.