AWS and UW agree to support the budget, but now renegades could ruin it

The ruling Solidarity Election Action (AWS) has reached an agreement securing the Freedom Unions (UW) support for its budget draft, but it is still uncertain whether there will be enough support in the Sejm for the draft to pass. The question is whether a group of AWS and UW renegades, who left to join the recently-formed Citizen Platform of Andrzej Olechowski, Maciej Plazynski and Donald Tusk, will support the budget. AWS and UW yesterday agreed to make some last-minute amendments, increasing spending on education by zl.200 million, fighting unemployment by zl.50 million and defense by zl.50 to 100 million. Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek said that the two political groups also agreed on other action aimed at creating new jobs. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p.17) T.J.