The decision follows the loss of liberal presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, representing Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO), who was narrowly defeated by conservative Karol Nawrocki, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party.
Nawrocki won Sunday's runoff by 1.78 percentage points, an upset that has shaken confidence in the ruling alliance.
Tusk on Thursday met with lower-house Speaker Szymon Hołownia of the center-right Polska 2050 grouping, Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz of the agrarian Polish People’s Party (PSL), and Deputy House Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty of the Left to discuss post-election strategies.
also agreed to appoint a government spokesperson and meet weekly to tighten coordination after liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski was edged out by opposition conservative Karol Nawrocki in Sunday’s presidential runoff.
“We’ve taken concrete decisions about how our cooperation will look in the weeks and months ahead,” Hołownia told reporters, adding that the coalition is learning from campaign mistakes.
The coalition leaders said they plan to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle within four to six weeks, appoint a government spokesperson, and begin holding weekly coordination meetings.
They also aim to revive an advisory council of party strategists to better unify communication and decision-making.
Czarzasty said the election result would not divide the coalition, declaring that the reshuffle would be "carefully prepared without controversy."
Kosiniak-Kamysz said a revamped communication strategy would help "unite different sensibilities within the coalition into one coherent message for citizens."
Tusk announced on Tuesday that the lower-house would hold a vote of confidence in his government on June 11, describing it as a "new beginning."
Hołownia told reporters that the prime minister’s address to lawmakers would be "drafted jointly" and "reflect a shared vision."
The coalition has faced internal criticism for what some described as muddled messaging during the campaign and for failing to mobilize younger voters.
Trzaskowski had led in early opinion polls, but PiS successfully rallied conservative and rural voters behind Nawrocki in the final stretch.
"This is not a reaction to Nawrocki’s victory; it’s a statement of responsibility for Poland,” Hołownia said. "We know what we want to change and how to fix it."
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP