In a departure from the previous administration, Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has expressed his party’s commitment to forming a “cross-party, non-party” government following the results of the October general election. Morawiecki, who led the outgoing Law and Justice (PiS) government, addressed the media on Friday, highlighting the significant shift in the composition of the new parliament.
During the press conference, Morawiecki emphasized that the electorate’s choices had resulted in a parliament with a “completely different” makeup of votes compared to its predecessor. Tasked by President Andrzej Duda with the responsibility of establishing a new government, Morawiecki announced his intention to unveil the proposed lineup within the next seven or eight days.
Despite securing the majority of seats in the October 15 general election, the socially-conservative PiS faced the challenge of losing a ruling majority in both houses of parliament. The prospect of forming a coalition government appeared slim, as no other party displayed interest in cooperation with the PiS.
Undeterred by the electoral setback, Morawiecki expressed determination to forge ahead with the formation of a new government. “It will certainly be a government completely different from the one that has until now fulfilled its obligations,” he stated. Morawiecki attributed this shift to the voters’ desire to put an end to what he referred to as the “Poland-Poland war,” expressing a need for a government of balance.
Elaborating on his approach, Morawiecki indicated that he aimed to create a government that was “the most appropriate from the point of view of citizens, from the point of view of Poland – in other words in terms of its program.” Recognizing the diverse choices made by the Polish public across various parties and groupings, Morawiecki outlined his efforts to distill the most valuable elements from their programs. The goal was to formulate the “ten commandments of Polish issues” for the next four years, with the objective of “very positively changing the lives of Poles, despite the major crises that are constantly occurring around us.” Morawiecki’s vision seeks to transcend partisan boundaries and foster a collaborative approach to governance for the benefit of the nation.