Polish Opposition Ready to Take Power, Says Tusk
Poland’s mainstream opposition parties said on Tuesday they are ready to take power, as they seek to increase pressure on the president to make a quick decision on appointing their candidate Donald Tusk as prime minister.
The pro-European Union (EU) opposition parties won a majority in elections earlier this month, a huge shift for Poland after eight years of feuding with Brussels over issues ranging from judicial independence to LGBT rights.
President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, has previously said that he would give the first shot at forming a government to the largest single party in the lower house of parliament.
PiS came first in the general election but lost its majority. It is unlikely to be able to form a government for want of a coalition partner.
“Today, together with the leaders of the democratic parties, we confirmed our readiness to cooperate fully and create a majority in the next parliament,” Tusk, the leader of Poland’s largest liberal opposition grouping Civic Coalition, told a news conference. He added that he would be the opposition’s candidate for prime minister.
Duda is set to meet the leaders of all the parties that won seats in parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The leaders of the three groupings intent on forming the next government – Tusk’s liberal Civic Coalition (KO), the centre-right Third Way and the New Left – have urged Duda not to delay making a decision on appointing a new prime minister.
However, the president’s aides have said that he will not rush into making a choice.
