Polish → English transcript

Ladies and gentlemen, dear compatriots. This is my first

presidential New Year’s address. I say

these words with a sense of great honor and gratitude,

but also responsibility, because this office is not a

reward, it is above all a commitment.

The end of the year is a special time. It is a moment in

which in one night two thoughts meet:

about what has been and about what will be. A balance and

a plan. Memory and hope. For me personally

the passing year has undoubtedly been one of the most important.

I thank everyone who trusted me. I will

also consistently strive to convince those

who had a different opinion. I assure you that not even

for a moment will I forget for whom and for what this choice is

to serve. The slogan “Poland first, Poles first”

is not a sentence. It is a task. In the passing

In 2017, with their choice, Poles said clearly:

we do not like how things are. They clearly showed

that the affairs of the state are not going in the right direction, that

change is needed, that the voice of the citizens must

once again be the decisive voice. You have indicated

the direction in which we should be heading. This

new, good direction in 2026 must therefore mean

growth, security, and a better life for citizens.

Poland has found itself in a place that until recently

seemed difficult to achieve.

We will take part in G20 talks, that is,

among the largest economies in the world. As

the first Polish president, I was invited

to the summit of this group by President Donald Trump

during my visit to the White House. The presence

of our country in G20 talks is the fruit of the work

of generations of Polish women and men. People who are hard-working,

ambitious, courageous people who, thanks to innovation

and their talents, were able to build a strong economy

almost from scratch, from an economy degraded by communism

and centrally planned to a dynamic market economy.

That is all of us, all of us Poles stand behind this success.

Now our task is to make it lasting.

Poland in the G20 must be our direction

for the coming years and the coming decades.

A state that wants to permanently belong to

a group of the strongest, it cannot be ambitious

for just a moment. It must be modern, efficient and

fair every single day. It must ensure that all

citizens benefit from development, and not

only selected groups. Development cannot be just

a statistic. A strong state does not exist only

in economic reports. A strong state exists

in the everyday lives of its citizens. If we want

to be permanently among the very best, we must

translate this development into the everyday life of every Polish woman

and every Pole. A strong and developed state

cannot leave the sick without help, or women in labor

without care. In schools, besides education,

it must shape patriotic attitudes that

build us as a national community. It must care

for families, making sure that we are a

demographically strong society. Being a mom, a Polish mom,

is a reason for respect and pride. The state must support

all women who lovingly take on the effort

of caring for and raising new citizens. The world’s twentieth

largest economy cannot condemn workers to

constant uncertainty about tomorrow, or employers to endless

uncertainty about the law. It also does not force farmers

to waste their crops. It does not put retirees in front of

with a choice between medicine or food. And it does not allow for

electricity and heat to be a luxury. The real strength

of a state does not begin in the conference rooms

of the world. It begins every day at the kitchen

table of every Polish family. If we want

to be permanently present among the strongest in the

G20, we must make sure that the everyday life

of Poles is normal, better, and safe.

History also leaves us with no illusions. Only

if we are economically strong can we be militarily strong.

Only then can we afford a modern army, effective

deterrence, and the defense of our own territory. We must

consistently build up and expand our Armed

Forces. Peace is costly, but war always costs

more. Poland is strong in NATO, but above

all we must count on ourselves. Development and security

are not a goal in themselves. They are a condition for a dignified

life. For work that brings respect, for a state

that does not leave the citizen alone, and for a future

that can be planned without fear. Three goals: development,

security, and a better life for Poles. Let

this be one, our shared, good direction

for this coming new year. Ladies and Gentlemen,

the year 2026 is, among other things, the year of Sergiusz Piasecki.

An extraordinary writer, an exceptional person,

a hero of Polish freedom. In his most famous

novel “The Lover of the Great Bear” it is

precisely this constellation that points the right way.

In darkness, in uncertainty, in moments of trial.

Today, when at midnight the sky will light up, welcoming

the new year, let us look at it and think of a good

direction. For us, for our families, for our

the closest years, for Poland. Let us remember that in life

of nations, just like in the life of each of us, courage

is important and necessary. It is what allows us to reach

the peaks, to overcome the toughest bends and

to build things that are lasting and truly important. Dear

compatriots. Let the year 2026 be a year of a new,

good course. For Poland, for Poles. Happy

New Year. Long live Poland.