“I decided to entrust the mission of forming the government to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,” A. Duda said in his televised speech.
After last month’s general election, in which the ruling right-wing Justice and Justice (PiS) party lost its majority in parliament and lost to three united opposition parties led by the Civic Platform (PO), but remained the single party with the most votes, the process of forming a new government is underway.
Earlier on Monday, the presidential assistant Marcin Mastalerek said on the X social network that the decision of the head of the country is final and does not depend on the wishes of politicians.
A. Duda, an ally of the current government, has said that the two candidates for prime minister are the current prime minister, delegated by the ruling PiS, and the former prime minister, the main opposition leader, Donald Tusk.
The president’s decision is expected to delay the formation of a functioning government, as lawmakers are unlikely to give Morawiecki the necessary approval for his cabinet.
A. Duda emphasized that M. Morawiecki’s party should be given the opportunity to stay in power, as it won more votes than any other single party.
The president said that if M. Morawiecki fails, he will hand over the task of forming the government to D. Tusk’s Civic Coalition, the second largest in the parliament.
According to the Polish constitution, the president appoints the prime minister and instructs him to form the cabinet, which must then be approved by parliament. Only then is the Prime Minister and the government officially confirmed. If not, the procedure is repeated with the next prime minister.
PiS will not have a majority in the new parliament and will not be able to pass its own laws. But its leaders insist she should be allowed to continue ruling because she won the most votes. The party will have 194 votes in the 460-member lower house of parliament, but has no potential coalition partner.
Former European Council President Tusk represents the majority of the united opposition, which won 248 seats, but during the election campaign he was the target of fierce attacks from the government and hostile comments from Duda. The opposition bloc consists of D. Tusk’s centrist Civic Coalition, “Third Way” – the coalition of the agrarian Polish People’s Party and the centrist “Poland 2050” – and the “New Left”.
Some commentators have previously suggested that Duda may choose a candidate who can provide an opportunity for constructive cooperation in the nearly two years until the end of his term.
Trying to buy time?
D. Tuskas has accused A. Dudas of trying to gain time.
He repeated this accusation on Monday during a rally just before A. Duda’s announcement, after local media leaked the head of state’s decision.
“The president said he would appoint Morawiecki (…). So, as I already said, they will want to steal another couple of days,” Tusk told his supporters in Wroclaw in southwestern Poland.
He said it was a shame because time is of the essence for Poland at the moment.
During the election campaign, D. Tusk promised to restore relations with the European Union and unblock frozen EU funds by December.
Brussels has prevented Poland from receiving 35 billion. EUR 10,000,000 in EU funds for the liquidation of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic due to disagreements over judicial reforms.
Since PiS came to power, Poland’s relations with the EU’s governing institutions have deteriorated sharply due to what the bloc’s leaders say is the deteriorating state of democracy.
A. Duda will convene the first session of the newly elected parliament on November 13.
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2024-10-01 09:46:54
