WARSAW: Poland’s liberal opposition parties formally sealed a coalition deal on Friday, outlining a collaborative “roadmap” in it was given a chance to assume power.
Donald Tusk, the opposition’s candidate for prime minister and a key figure in the liberal Civic Coalition, expressed his readiness to shoulder the responsibility for the country’s future during a press conference. Tusk was joined by leaders from the centrist Third Way and the Left, emphasizing their collective commitment.
Drawing an analogy, Left co-head Robert Biedron likened the coalition leaders to the Avengers, a reference to the superhero team from comic books.
Despite the governing conservatives winning the most votes in the recent election, they fell short of securing a parliamentary majority. The Civic Coalition, finishing second, contributed to the opposition alliance, which collectively holds a majority of 248 lawmakers in the 460-seat parliament.
The opposition leaders had jointly urged Polish President Andrzej Duda to nominate Donald Tusk as the prime minister.
However, President Duda, aligned with the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, granted the first opportunity to form the new government to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, a move criticized by Tusk as “playing for time.”
With the PiS obtaining 194 seats, forming a coalition with viable partners remains uncertain. Tusk, a former prime minister and ex-head of the European Council, dismissed the move to appoint Morawiecki as having little impact, maintaining confidence that he would eventually assume the role of the head of government.
