Former Polish President Andrzej Duda has joined the Heritage Foundation, the conservative American think tank behind Project 2025, marking a significant alignment between Poland's former ruling establishment and the American right, according to Politico Europe.
The appointment places Duda—who served as president from 2015 to 2025 during the Law and Justice (PiS) government's tenure—at the center of a transatlantic conservative network that has drawn both strong support and fierce criticism for its vision of governance.
"President Duda brings invaluable experience from leading a nation on NATO's eastern frontier," the Heritage Foundation said in a statement announcing the appointment. The organization did not specify Duda's exact role or responsibilities.
The move comes less than a year after Duda left office following the PiS party's electoral defeat in 2023. His presidency was marked by close cooperation with the PiS government, including controversial judicial reforms that put Poland at odds with the European Union over rule-of-law concerns.
In Poland, as across Central Europe, history is never far from the surface—and neither is the memory of occupation. Duda's alignment with American conservatives reflects the complex political geography of Polish conservatism, which combines strong Atlantic ties with skepticism toward Brussels bureaucracy.
During his tenure, Duda cultivated particularly warm relations with the Trump administration, hosting then-President Donald Trump in Warsaw in 2017. That visit featured Trump's controversial speech at Krasinski Square, which emphasized Western civilization and national sovereignty themes that resonated with PiS's political narrative.
Project 2025, a comprehensive policy blueprint for a potential future conservative American administration, has generated intense debate in the United States. The initiative proposes sweeping changes to federal governance, including expanding presidential power over the civil service and reorienting foreign policy around more nationalist priorities.
Critics in Poland were quick to note the parallels between Project 2025's approach and PiS's own efforts to reshape Polish institutions. "Duda is joining an organization that advocates for the same kind of institutional capture that PiS attempted in Poland," said Michał Szczerba, a member of parliament from the ruling Civic Coalition.
The Heritage Foundation has long maintained ties with conservative movements across Central Europe, viewing the region as a laboratory for policies resisting what it characterizes as progressive overreach. The organization has praised Hungary's Viktor Orbán and hosted numerous events featuring Central European conservative leaders.
Duda's tenure as president coincided with significant tensions between Warsaw and Brussels over judicial independence. The European Union withheld billions in funding, citing concerns that Poland's judicial reforms undermined democratic checks and balances—accusations the PiS government consistently rejected as interference in domestic affairs.
The current Polish government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, has worked to reverse many of those judicial changes and repair relations with the EU. Tusk's coalition defeated PiS in the 2023 parliamentary elections on a platform of restoring democratic norms and European integration.
"This says everything about where Duda's priorities lie," commented a Polish political analyst who requested anonymity. "While Poland's current government works to strengthen democratic institutions, the former president joins an organization advocating the opposite approach."
The appointment also comes amid broader questions about the future of transatlantic relations and the role of conservative movements in shaping democratic governance. Duda's decision to join Heritage signals the continuing influence of the PiS-era foreign policy orientation, which emphasized bilateral relations with Washington over multilateral European frameworks.
Supporters of the former president defended the move, arguing that Duda brings important perspective on managing relations with Russia and maintaining robust national defense. "President Duda has deep experience on security matters that will be valuable to any serious policy discussion," said a former PiS official.
The Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 has faced scrutiny in the United States for proposals that critics say would undermine civil service protections and concentrate power in the executive branch. The organization maintains that its recommendations would restore proper constitutional balance and reduce bureaucratic overreach.
Duda's move to the Heritage Foundation ensures that the former president will remain a voice in international conservative circles, even as PiS's political fortunes in Poland have declined. The party remains a significant opposition force but faces challenges rebuilding after its electoral defeat.
