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Polish ruling party retains majority despite tensions: spokesman

12.08.2021 08:00
A spokesman for Poland’s ruling conservatives has expressed confidence that they will retain a majority in parliament despite a rift within the governing coalition over proposed new media ownership rules and a set of economic and tax policies.
Radosław Fogiel
Radosław FogielWojciech Kusiński/Polskie Radio

However, Radosław Fogiel did not rule out what he termed "a minority government scenario" amid coalition tensions, Poland's PAP news agency reported, citing the wp.pl website.

Fogiel was speaking after a junior government partner, a conservative group called Agreement, announced on Wednesday it was leaving the country's United Right coalition.

That announcement followed a move by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki a day earlier to dismiss his deputy Jarosław Gowin, who heads the Agreement grouping.

Gowin was also minister for development, labour and technology.

Asked if Agreement's departure spelled the end for the United Right coalition, Fogiel said that "the United Right is a bigger project than somebody's ministerial or prime-ministerial post."

Fogiel, who is deputy press spokesman for Poland’s governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, also said he hoped some Agreement politicians would continue working with the government, the PAP news agency reported.

"I am confident when it comes to having a majority in the lower house," Fogiel declared.

He also said that "a minority government scenario definitely remains a realistic option" although "running a country in this way is difficult."

Fogiel was also quoted as saying that "changes in the Cabinet are probably unavoidable."

The United Right coalition, which is led by Law and Justice and also includes the strongly conservative United Poland (Solidarna Polska) party—headed by Justice Minister and Prosecutor-General Zbigniew Ziobro—has ruled since winning a landslide in a 2015 parliamentary election.

The United Right secured a second term in power in a parliamentary ballot in October 2019.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP