In a televised address on Monday evening, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda revealed his choice for the country’s new prime minister. Following the loss of the parliamentary majority by the socially-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party in the October 15 election, three opposition groups – the liberal Civic Coalition (KO), the center-right Third Way alliance, and the New Left – had requested Duda to permit them to form a coalition government led by Donald Tusk, the leader of KO.
However, despite the opposition’s efforts, PiS nominated the incumbent Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki as their candidate to lead the new government.
Following extensive discussions with various political groups that secured parliamentary seats, President Duda announced on October 26 that both Tusk and Morawiecki were candidates for the prime ministerial position in the upcoming government.
Duda also disclosed his plan to convene the inaugural session of the newly-elected parliament on November 13, as mandated by the Polish constitution, within 30 days of the election. Subsequently, the president has 14 days to appoint the prime minister and task them with government formation. The appointed candidate then has 14 days to garner a vote of confidence from lawmakers. If this attempt proves unsuccessful, parliament will proceed to select its own nominee for the head of the government.