Poland’s President Duda has tasked the previous Prime Minister Morawiecki with forming a government – even though the opposition alliance won the election. The decision further delays the transfer of power.
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 transfer of power. The head of state gave the previous Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki from the national conservative PiS the task of forming a government. Duda said in Warsaw that he followed the good parliamentary tradition, according to which a representative of the strongest faction is given the task of forming a government.
The move by the president, who himself comes from the PiS camp, could bring further weeks of political instability to Poland. The previous ruling party, PiS, became the strongest political force, but missed an absolute majority – and has no coalition partner. It is therefore questionable whether Morawiecki will succeed in his attempt to form a government.
Possible coalition around Tusk is already working on a contract
In the parliamentary election on October 15th, Donald Tusk’s liberal-conservative Citizens’ 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.
After the election, opposition politicians in Warsaw repeatedly expressed fears that the president might delay the change in order to allow the PiS to remain in power for another month or two. Duda had already set the date for the constituent session of the new parliament on November 13th – almost a month after the election.
In Poland it is a political custom, but not a requirement, for the head of state to award the task of forming a government to a representative of the party that has become the strongest political force. If his proposal for a cabinet does not receive a majority in parliament, it is the turn of the other factions. If the PiS fails to form a government, Tusk is likely to be appointed head of government by parliament. He held this position from 2007 to 2014.