Warsaw
Poland: Watch the change of government in the cinema with popcorn
Poland’s parliament has chosen former opposition leader Donald Tusk as the future head of government. photo
© Michal Dyjuk/AP/dpa
Donald Tusk becomes the new Prime Minister. The old PiS government camp had delayed the change until the very end. Some Poles took this as good entertainment.
Once again there is great cinema in this change of power in Poland, which has seemed to drag on forever since the parliamentary election. Previously, the new national-conservative PiS government of the previous Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had, as expected, failed a confidence vote in parliament.
This marked the end of a political farce with which Poland’s national conservatives had kept the country in check for almost two months and damaged the reputation of democracy in order to delay their departure from power. The parliamentary session was even broadcast live in two halls of a large cinema in Warsaw – the audience followed the absurd theater with popcorn and cola.
After his election, Tusk said this was a great day for everyone who, during the years of the PiS government, “firmly believed that things would get better, that we would drive away the darkness and drive away evil.”
PiS took advantage of all deadlines
Until recently, the PiS had acted as if it could simply continue to govern. Voters rushed to the polls on October 15th with a record turnout to vent their dissatisfaction with the National Conservatives, who have been in power since 2015. And it has been clear to everyone for eight weeks: the PiS has been voted out, an opposition alliance led by former EU Council President Donald Tusk has won the parliamentary election.
Nevertheless, the PiS, with the help of the president they appointed, Andrzej Duda, used tricks to take advantage of all deadlines. Duda gave the task of forming a government to the PiS politician and previous Prime Minister Morawiecki and swore in his cabinet – knowing full well that this interim government would only remain in office for two weeks. An expensive show: According to calculations by the political magazine “Polityka”, the salaries for the numerous two-month ministers alone cost taxpayers a total of around 74,000 euros.
Now everything should go quickly. Tusk wants to make his government statement and introduce his ministerial team tomorrow. The vote of confidence follows in the afternoon. Since Tusk can rely on a clear majority of MPs, his election is considered safe. Duda is expected to swear in Tusk’s cabinet on Wednesday. Then the change would finally be made.
Tusk’s new three-party coalition government faces many challenges. One of the most pressing current problems is the blockade of border crossings with Ukraine by Polish trucking companies. They see their business at risk from cheaper competition from neighboring countries. The dispute is straining Ukraine’s relationship with Poland, which has been one of Kiev’s most important allies since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression.
There is also a lot to do in relation to Berlin and Brussels. The PiS was in constant conflict with the EU Commission over its judicial reform, and the federal government was annoying it with its demand for trillions in world war reparations. Tusk and his colleagues, on the other hand, stand for a pro-European course and a more conciliatory policy towards Germany.
The old new one
The 66-year-old from Gdańsk was Poland’s head of government from 2007 to 2014. During this time he maintained a good relationship with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). Tusk wants to fly to Brussels at the end of the week for an EU summit where further aid for Ukraine will be discussed.
But many Polish citizens also have high expectations of their new government. The PiS angered many people by tightening abortion rights – the future government wants to liberalize the legislation again. Tusk has also already announced the restructuring of the public broadcaster, which the PiS had made into its propaganda organ.
Despite his desire for change, Tusk will also have to contend with the problem of cohabitation. President Duda can put the brakes on many reform initiatives. And in recent weeks he has made it more than clear that the non-party status required by the constitution for the head of state is just a formality for him.