After the Polish Parliament rejected outgoing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawick, pro-European Donald Tusk was elected in his place.
Following the rejection of the candidacy of Mateusz Morawiecki, now ex-Prime Minister, the Polish parliament unsurprisingly elected the former President of the European Council to the post of President of the Polish Council of Ministers this Monday evening. He will lead a coalition that emerged victorious from the legislative elections last October.
Mateusz Morawiecki’s failure marks the end of eight years of power for the Polish nationalist camp.
Donald Tusk is expected to deliver his general policy speech on Tuesday, take the oath of office on Wednesday and represent Poland at the next European summit on Thursday in Brussels.
For his part, PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski denounced “a social misunderstanding” and proclaimed “the end of democracy” Poland.
“The Poland of my dreams is the one without politicians who will act in favor of foreign states”, said Mr. Kaczynski, who has long accused the Civic Coalition and Donald Tusk himself of representing German and Russian interests.
Powerful opposition
Expectations are enormous towards this pro-European government but populist nationalists will remain a powerful opposition and will continue to control several state institutions.
“The new government will have to fight every day, because the PiS (…) will not give up and will continue to fight”political analyst Jaroslaw Kuisz told AFP.
“It will be a quagmire” rather than rapid changes, the PiS having left its successors “a judicial minefield”, he underlines.
Analysts speak of “a spider web” woven by the PiS around the State, all the more solid as Mr. Duda’s presidential mandate does not end until 2025 and he can at any time use his right of veto on the laws adopted by the parliament.
The PiS took advantage of the two additional months of power given to it as a gift by the head of state “to strengthen itself institutionally and financially”, underlines Mr. Kuisz.
The nationalist party has thus appointed its representatives at the head of different institutions, with often irrevocable mandates, prosecutors at the national prosecutor’s office and around 150 new judges, chosen by a body criticized by Brussels for its dependence on PiS.
Controversial reforms to the judicial system introduced by the nationalists prompted Brussels to block billions of euros in funds intended for Warsaw, which Mr Tusk now intends to release.
