Adding up the cost of Belka's victory in Parliament

According to Rzeczpospolita, the concessions that Marek Belka had to make to left-wing parties in order to win the Parliamentary vote of confidence will cost the budget an extra zł.2.9 billion over the next couple of years. In the meantime, an additional zł.18 billion will be spent to cover pre-lection promises. This means that around zł.14 billion of taxpayers' money will be needed to implement all government's plans. Marek Belka claims that everything is under control and he even hopes to make budget savings. The government says that they do not want to withdraw from the main planks of Hausner's plan, but they want to alter them in such a way to gain majority support in the Sejm. The changes would concern equalizing the retirement age of men and women and verification of old age and disability pensions. Those amendments together with earlier announced changes to the reform of public finances have led to rumors about Hausner's possible resignation as Economy Minister. Hausner himself clearly refuted that he was planning to leave the government, though he is not happy with the government's amendments. (Rzeczpospolita, June 26-27, p. B1) J.J.