Poland’s President Duda sworn in as most opposition MPs stay away

Poland’s conservative President Andrzej Duda was sworn in for a second five-year term before parliament members on Thursday. Most opposition parliamentarians and former presidents and prime ministers did not attend.

Duda is being criticized for what some say was disregard for the constitution during his first term, and his almost total acceptance of the ruling right-wing party’s policies that have put Poland at odds with European Union leaders, AP said.

Duda has been a close ally of the ruling right-wing coalition of the Law and Justice party and two small partner parties.

He won 51.03 percent of votes in the July 12 election runoff while his challenger, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, received 48.97 percent.