This announcement by A. Duda begins the process of forming a new government after the Polish national elections held on October 15. He is also required to announce a candidate for prime minister, but indicated that this decision will be made later.
The president stated that there are currently two serious candidates for this post: the current Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the opposition leader Donald Tusk.
The Polish opposition, led by former European Council President D. Tusk, won a total of 248 seats in the 460-member lower house of parliament in the general election.
Morawiecki’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party came first in the general election, but failed to secure a parliamentary majority. The party secured 194 seats and has no potential coalition government partner. However, Morawiecki said his party would try to form a government if the president asked for it.
“Today we have two serious candidates for the post of prime minister, two political groups that claim a parliamentary majority and have their own candidate for prime minister,” Duda said.
“This is, one might say, a new situation according to the standards of our democracy,” he said.
“As you understand, I have to consider this,” the president added, calling it a very serious decision.
Earlier this week, A. Duda held consultations with the leaders of all the parties that won seats in the parliament.
He noted that according to the constitution, the term of the outgoing parliament will last until November 12 and that he sees no reason to shorten it.
After the first meeting of the newly constituted parliament, the president must appoint a prime minister who will form the government within 14 days.
Once a candidate is nominated, he or she must secure parliamentary confidence within 14 days. If this does not happen, the parliament itself chooses a candidate for prime minister.
If Mr Duda chooses Mr Morawiecki first, and his proposed government fails to win parliamentary support, which is believed to be inevitable, the process is expected to drag on and a new government may not begin until December.
Until the start of the new government’s work, the old cabinet of ministers remains.
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