2023-10-24 14:12 update: 2023-10-26, 14:51
Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak
The leaders of the three opposition groupings that jointly won the majority of parliamentary seats in October 15 general elections have confirmed they are ready to form a new government with Donald Tusk, the leader of the largest opposition party Civic Platform (PO), as its head.
The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party fell short of getting enough votes to give it a parliamentary majority in the elections and only have slim chance of finding a viable coalition partner.
The leaders of three opposition groupings, the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), of which the PO is the backbone party, the centre-right Third Way (the alliance between Polish People's Party and Poland 2050), and the New Left were due to meet on Tuesday to start work on a governing coalition agreement.
Tusk, along with the leaders of Poland 2050, Szymon Holownia; the PSL's Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz; and of the New Left, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, made a joint statement in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, on Tuesday morning.
"Today, together with the leaders of democratic parties, we confirmed our readiness to fully cooperate and create a new majority in the next parliament," Tusk said, adding that it was "important information on the day when President Andrzej Duda begins consultations with the groups that entered parliament in these elections."
He also said that an earlier declaration saying "that the head of the largest opposition party will be given the difficult mission of forming a government" was also confirmed by all the leaders.
"Thank you for confirming this," Tusk said but stipulated that the final decision would depend on the president.
He also thanked all voters and those who took part in the elections.
"It was a great effort. Let me express my gratitude, appreciation and respect for all those who contributed their effort, hands and hearts to the triumph of democracy," Tusk said. “This is how we evaluate these elections."
Duda's consultation with the representatives of the election committees of the parties that will be represented in the new parliament were due to start on Tuesday at 12:00 noon, first with PiS and later with KO.
The meetings will continue on Wednesday with the Third Way at 11am and the New Left at 1pm at the Presidential Palace.
Poland 2050 leader, Szymon Holownia, urged the president to make a prompt decision.
"Today we all appeal to President Duda not to waste another second of our time... Poland's and Poles' time is priceless," he said.
"Mr President, there is nothing to wait for. If you need to hear, as part of the consultations, whether there is a majority in parliament to form a government, we would like to inform you that there is. There is no need to delay anything... it must be clearly said that the nation that... entrusted you with this position has just spoken."
PSL leader, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the Third Way would ask Duda to convene a session of the Sejm as soon as possible.
"Today and tomorrow, we will nominate our candidate for prime minister at the meeting with the president - the chairman of the Civic Platform, Donald Tusk - and we will assure the president that we have a majority to select the prime minister, to appoint the speaker of the Sejm and the speaker of the Senate," he said.
(PAP)
mr/md/jch
