“I do not rule out the possibility that Radosław Sikorski will become Prime Minister in November,” declared Ryszard Petru, MP from the Poland 2050 party, on the soon-to-be-dissolved TVP channel. He added that such a change “is being discussed behind the scenes.”
The widely announced government reshuffle has failed to boost the polling numbers of the December 13 coalition. Recent surveys have shown especially poor results for its leader, Donald Tusk. According to a poll conducted by SW Research for Rzeczpospolita, the majority of respondents believe the government would perform better if there were a change in the prime minister’s office.
Poles are also critical of the reshuffle itself. In a survey by IBRiS commissioned by Rzeczpospolita, 78 percent of respondents said the changes had no impact on their opinion of the Council of Ministers. Among those whose view did change, 37.2 percent said it had only worsened. As a result, talk of another, broader reconstruction is gaining traction.
Sikorski Instead of Tusk?
One of those speaking about this was Poland 2050 MP Ryszard Petru, in an interview on the soon-to-be-dissolved TVP. He suggested that the changes would be linked to the rotation in the office of the Speaker of the Sejm. “November of this year will be the moment when [Szymon Hołownia – editor’s note] ceases to be the Speaker, and that’s when he might enter the government. That will be the moment for a second, major reshuffle, which will inevitably happen,” he stated.
He went on to say that he personally believed it would be better if Hołownia became Deputy Prime Minister, but he noted that he “does not rule out” changes at the very top of the government.
“I do not rule out that Radosław Sikorski will become Prime Minister in November, but that decision lies with the Civic Platform and Donald Tusk. There’s talk of it behind the scenes,” he said.