Morawiecki to form new government in Poland
A good three weeks after the victory of a three-party opposition alliance in the parliamentary elections in Poland, President Andrzej Duda has further delayed the transition of power with a controversial decision.
The head of state gave the current prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki from the national conservative PiS, the task of forming a government. Duda said in Warsaw that he had followed the good parliamentary tradition of appointing a representative of the strongest parliamentary group to form a government.
This move by the President, who himself comes from the PiS camp, could bring Poland further weeks of political instability. Previously, Duda had already set the date for the constituent session of the new parliament for November 13 - almost a month after the election.
Morawiecki has no coalition partner
In the parliamentary elections on October 15, Donald Tusk's liberal-conservative Civic Coalition (KO) won a clear majority of seats together with two other opposition parties, the conservative Third Way and the left-wing alliance Lewica. The three parties are already working on a coalition agreement.
The previous governing party PiS, on the other hand, became the strongest political force, but fell short of an absolute majority and has no coalition partner. This means that Morawiecki's attempt to form a government is most likely doomed to failure.
In Poland, it is a political custom, but not a must, for the head of state to give the task of forming a government to a representative of the party that has become the strongest political force. If his or her proposal for a cabinet does not receive a majority in parliament, the ball is in the court of the other political groups.
Opposition politicians in Warsaw had repeatedly expressed fears after the election that the president could delay the change in order to give the PiS another month or two in power.
Despite Morawiecki's assignment to form a new government, the lack of a coalition partner likely dooms his attempt to success. This situation arises due to the opposition alliance, led by Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition, securing a clear majority in the elections, leaving PiS, the previous governing party, without a coalition partner.
Source: www.dpa.com
