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New Polish government sworn in

27.11.2023 17:30
Some government ministers kept their jobs as Poland’s new Cabinet led by conservative Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was sworn into office on Monday afternoon.
President Andrzej Duda (left) officially reappoints Mateusz Morawiecki (right) as Polands prime minister in a swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Monday.
President Andrzej Duda (left) officially reappoints Mateusz Morawiecki (right) as Poland's prime minister in a swearing-in ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw on Monday.Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak

Morawiecki and his ministers took their oaths before President Andrzej Duda in a ceremony at the presidential palace in Warsaw following parliamentary elections last month.

The swearing-in ceremony took place despite the fact that the country’s governing conservatives failed to secure a parliamentary majority in the October 15 elections, broadcaster TVN24 reported.

The opposition, itself eager to form a new administration after winning 248 seats in Poland's 460-seat lower house, slammed the appointment of the fresh Cabinet as a farce mounted by the ruling right-wingers to delay handing over power.

Critics pointed out that Morawiecki's new government has next to no chance of winning the parliamentary vote of confidence it needs to stay in office.

Morawiecki, who led Poland’s previous conservative governments from 2017 until earlier this month, was reappointed after being earlier named as prime minister-designate.

His new Cabinet includes some of his previous ministers, but also many new faces.

Poland's conservative leader Jarosław Kaczyński has said that the new government unveiled on Monday will work as a "team of experts" focused on "policy issues."

The new faces in the Cabinet include Paweł Szefernaker, who has taken over as interior minister, Poland's PAP news agency reported.

Previously a deputy minister, Szefernaker replaced Mariusz Kamiński, who has left the government.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak has retained his brief.

In other appointments, Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk has taken over as foreign minister, and Marlena Maląg became the new development and technology minister.

Szynkowski vel Sęk was previously minister for European affairs, and Maląg headed the family and social policy ministry.

Dorota Bojemska replaced Maląg as family and social policy minister, while actress Dominika Chorosińska replaced Piotr Gliński as culture minister.

Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak has returned as minister in charge of EU fund management and regional policy after a break of three years, while Danuta Dmowska-Andrzejuk was reappointed sports minister; she previously held the post from 2019 to 2020.

Andrzej Kosztowniak, a former chairman of the parliamentary Public Finance Committee, has taken over as finance minister, while Alvin Gajadhur, Poland’s chief road transport inspector, became the new infrastructure minister, and Anna Gembicka was sworn in as the new agriculture minister to replace Robert Telus.

Marzena Małek will head the Ministry of State Assets to replace Jacek Sasin, while Krzysztof Szczucki became the new education and science minister to replace Przemysław Czarnek.

Marcin Warchoł has been appointed the new justice minister to replace Zbigniew Ziobro, Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska became the new climate minister, and Ewa Krajewska took over as health minister.

Morawiecki's new Cabinet needs to win a vote of confidence in parliament within two weeks in order to stay in office.

After Monday’s ceremony at the presidential palace, Morawiecki will have 14 days to deliver a policy speech in parliament, outlining his government's priorities.

Poland's lower-house Speaker Szymon Hołownia said on Friday that he wanted Morawiecki to present the new Cabinet to parliament for approval as soon as possible.

Polish voters elected a new set of 460 MPs and 100 senators when they went to the ballot box last month.

Morawiecki's conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party won Poland's October 15 election, but lost its parliamentary majority and looks unlikely to stay in power for a third consecutive term.

A bloc of pro-EU opposition parties in mid-November secured a resounding victory in Poland's new parliament during its first key vote to elect a house Speaker.

Poland's opposition groups have signed an agreement to form a coalition government, pledging to restore the rule of law, promote green energy and relax abortion rules, among other policies.

Opposition leader Donald Tusk, a former top EU official, has already chosen most candidates for ministerial roles in his future Cabinet, according to the Rzeczpospolita newspaper.

Hołownia told reporters on Friday that "all the names of the members of Donald Tusk's future government have been agreed on."

Tusk was Poland's prime minister from 2007 to 2014.

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Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info, TVN24