On Monday, the 27th of October, the President of Poland formally approved the new government, which is expected to last only until December. The move, criticised by opposition parties, is seen as an attempt to delay the transfer of power to the parties that won a majority in the October elections. The nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS), in power since 2015, secured victory in the elections but did not win a majority and securing a vote of confidence in parliament seems unlikely for PiS, reports Reuters.
Although Civic Platform, the pro-European alliance, led by Donald Tusk won the majority and said it was ready to form a government, President Andrzej Duda, who is a PiS ally, gave Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki the opportunity to do so.
After taking the oath,
Duda stressed that appointing a government formed by the winning party was a tradition.
Marcin Kierwinski, a member of the Civic Coalition faction, described the swearing-in of Morawiecki’s new government as “a great comedy and farce”, describing it as a strategic delaying tactic, according to Reuters.
The next step for Prime Minister Morawiecki is to secure a confidence vote within two weeks, but it is unlikely that the necessary number of votes will be secured. Otherwise, another prime minister will be nominated, which will only require a majority in the next confidence vote. The opposition, led by Donald Tusk, is optimistic that a Tusk-led cabinet could take up the reins at this stage.
Prominent PiS politicians have refused to join the new government.
Opposition politicians and commentators assume that the party’s leading members do not want to be part of a government that is doomed to failure.
The Prime Minister’s new government will be gender balanced and aims to create an expert cabinet, retaining some officials from the previous cabinet and promoting some deputy ministers.
PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has underlined the efforts to bring fewer politicians into the cabinet, saying the aim is to demonstrate an alternative approach to government.
Morawiecki is committed to implementing the political proposals of the opposition parties in an effort to foster cooperation.
Read also: Polish President nominates Morawiecki to form new government
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