Despite the opposition’s victory in the parliamentary elections in Poland, President Andrzej Duda has sworn in a new cabinet led by the previous head of government, Mateusz Morawiecki. This attempt by the national conservative PiS to form a government has no chance of success and is seen as a tactical maneuver. The PiS can delay the change of power. Morawiecki must submit a vote of confidence in parliament within 14 days of being sworn in, but he does not have a majority there.
In the election on October 15, three pro-European parties led by former EU Council President and former Prime Minister Donald Tusk won a clear majority of 248 of the 460 seats. They have now also agreed on a coalition agreement. The PiS got 194 seats and has no coalition partner. Despite this majority, President Duda, who himself comes from the ranks of the PiS, commissioned the PiS politician Morawiecki to form a government on November 13th. Opposition representatives accuse Duda of wanting to drag out the change for weeks.
In recent weeks, Morawiecki had campaigned for a “coalition of Polish affairs” and tried to get individual groups from the opposition camp to his side. However, all parties rejected him. He is expected to ask parliament for a vote of confidence on December 11th and will therefore fail. Only then would it be the turn of the current opposition to form a government.