Belka's rat-pack mixture of political appointments continue

Prime Minister Marek Belka's recent political nominations are a true balancing act, trying to please his core leftist support groups, but at the same time the opposition, in order to win greater support in Parliament. This week, Lech Nikolski, whose name was frequently mentioned in connection with the Rywingate scandal and who was one of the closest aides of former Prime Minister Leszek Miller, was nominated as the government plenipotentiary in charge of the National Development Plan. This nomination stands somewhat in contrast to Belka's declarations about making his Cabinet less political and more professional. However, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) cannot be at ease with Belka's other nominations either, as he has just chosen Andrzej Ananicz, a former aide to President Lech Wałęsa, for the strategic post of head of the Internal Security Agency (ABW). (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 3) T.J.