Return to POPiS?

As EU Parliament gives initial go ahead to closer EU ties, Poland's PO and PiS parties find themselves in solidarity - and in opposition. 

Former Prime Minister Szydło and presumed future Prime Minister Tusk.

PAP

On Wednesday, the European Parliament gave its initial support to a planned reform of EU Treaties. This support has been expressed by its approval of a report from the Committee Constitutional Affairs. 

This is, however, only a first step on a long road to new treaties - the final step being unanimous support from all member states. 

Surprisingly, given the hostile political atmosphere in Poland between leading parties PO (Civic Platform) and PiS (Law and Justice), the two parties have joined hands in their opposition to the proposed treaty reforms, intended to bring closer ties in the EU. 

Former Prime Minister Beata Szydło (PiS) has been forthright in her opposition: 

There is no such thing as a European state and there is no reason to create one by changing the Treaties at the dictates of left-liberal politicians. The European Union is the result of cooperation between sovereign states. The people of EU countries have the right to decide for… pic.twitter.com/m7bMwTSiZ7

— Beata Szydło (@BeataSzydlo) November 21, 2023

Presumed future Prime Minister Tusk (PO) is slightly less emotional but mentions the sensitive subject of Brexit:

“One of the reasons why the UK left the EU was this naive, sometimes even unbearable euro-enthusiasm, which was transformed into projects that changed the character of the EU,”

—Donald Tusk, November 2023 pic.twitter.com/H3RpmfvgBF

— James Holland (@James7Holland) November 22, 2023

The parties PO and PiS, before their long period of hostility, had planned to form a coalition popularly known as "POPiS" - a play on words meaning "party number" in Polish. 

Sources: Radio Poland, TVN24, PAP

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