English Section

I will stand again for leader, but for last time: head of Poland’s ruling conservatives

21.12.2020 08:45
The head of Poland’s governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has said he will stand again for the post of leader but it will be his last time.
Jarosław Kaczyński.
Jarosław Kaczyński. Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

In an interview with the Rzeczpospolita daily published on Monday, Jarosław Kaczyński was cited as saying: "Of course this is not an announcement of my departure. If only COVID passes, there will be a congress and elections within PiS. This time I will still run. But it will definitely be the last time."

Kaczyński, who is 71, added: “There is no tradition of gerontocracy in Poland.”

The Law and Justice party swept to power in parliamentary elections in late 2015 and won a second term in office four years later.

A party congress had been expected this autumn. The head of the PiS Executive Committee, Krzysztof Sobolewski, said at the end of November that he hoped the congress could be held at the beginning of next year, but stressed that the priority was to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Poland on Sunday reported 8,594 new coronavirus infections and 143 more deaths, bringing its total number of cases to 1,202,700 and fatalities to 25,397.

(pk)

Source: PAP