A fresh start

The triumvirate might be unpalatable to many, but a diverse coalition that can at least count on a majority parliament could be better for business than a beleaguered minority. However, fresh elections remain the better option. A government led by the Kaczyński twins, a firebrand former pig farmer and an anti-Western lawyer could prove steely enough to push through legislation, but based on recent draft laws, that legislation will prove faulty and populist. A snap general election will have several advantages. Civic Platform has been far from effective in opposition, but could prove an able coalition member. Meanwhile, the only party with real experience at the helm, Social Democratic Alliance, has been quietly rebuilding its support base despite its tarnished image.

A new round of elections may simply reprise the current situation, with a marginal winner squabbling for votes and reticent partners in the Sejm. But a fresh vote could also provide a clean slate for compromise, without the risk of losing face and appearing to back off from the past months' fiery rhetoric.