Don't mention the mortgage!
When you're feeling down and need cheering up, there are few worse things you can read about than Polish politics. The inhabitants of this strange other-world seem not only to subsist, but actually to thrive, on a diet of half-baked cliché, steam-fried vitriol and flame-grilled arrogance, all topped-off with lashings of inflated ego.
While on a day-to-day basis domestic politics is simply a case of more of the same for Poles, every so often what is said gets reported globally, and reading about it brings on an overpowering urge to cringe until your face muscles cramp and hide under the nearest desk, vainly hoping that no one will really notice.
This was the case last week when the world's English language press picked up on new Prime Minister Marek Belka's attempt to form a working cabinet. Although mostly relegated to single paragraphs on the foreign news pages, some publications did go into worrying depth about the current political vacuum here.
"The fate of the country is in your hands," Belka said to deputies before they rejected him. He had asked for a "year-long contract" to continue the desperately needed fiscal reforms that will support the current strengthening economic recovery. Instead he, and by extension the governing of Poland, is now hamstrung at least until the end of June, and possibly longer. The leaders of the opposition parties, as usual, couldn't resist their five seconds of fame, and many were quoted explaining why they refused to give their support, often with an almost catchy sound-bite in the hope voters will remember who they are.
The most vociferous was of course Andrzej Lepper, the leader of Samoobrona (Self-Defense), who said of Belka, "We heard only lies, hypocrisy and cynical promises," presumably without realizing that if that was indeed the case, then he and Belka have a lot more in common than meets the eye.
Most articles explained that now there will be a second round, and then - if needed - a third. Through all this, the President will support Belka, and some commentators have suggested that by the end of the third round, Belka may yet come out on top. Amidst this wonderful example of democracy at work, Fitch cut Poland's credit rating by one point, and the zloty continued to decline against the dollar. If Belka does fail, elections will be brought forward a year to this August, with Lepper and Donald Tusk's Civic Platform (PO) party vying for glory. Although support for Lepper has slipped in the polls over the last month, as one market analyst pointed out, Lepper as Prime Minister would be a "real drama" in the short term.
However, there is one aspect of this story that hasn't yet made the world's English language press: Polish radio recently reported that Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) deputies (the ones that will be out of a job after election day) have between them taken out some zł.42 million in mortgages and other credit. Suddenly faced with the prospect of not being able to pay the bills a year earlier than expected, there is a strong rumor in the Sejm that Belka may get the support he needs after all.
While on a day-to-day basis domestic politics is simply a case of more of the same for Poles, every so often what is said gets reported globally, and reading about it brings on an overpowering urge to cringe until your face muscles cramp and hide under the nearest desk, vainly hoping that no one will really notice.
This was the case last week when the world's English language press picked up on new Prime Minister Marek Belka's attempt to form a working cabinet. Although mostly relegated to single paragraphs on the foreign news pages, some publications did go into worrying depth about the current political vacuum here.
"The fate of the country is in your hands," Belka said to deputies before they rejected him. He had asked for a "year-long contract" to continue the desperately needed fiscal reforms that will support the current strengthening economic recovery. Instead he, and by extension the governing of Poland, is now hamstrung at least until the end of June, and possibly longer. The leaders of the opposition parties, as usual, couldn't resist their five seconds of fame, and many were quoted explaining why they refused to give their support, often with an almost catchy sound-bite in the hope voters will remember who they are.
The most vociferous was of course Andrzej Lepper, the leader of Samoobrona (Self-Defense), who said of Belka, "We heard only lies, hypocrisy and cynical promises," presumably without realizing that if that was indeed the case, then he and Belka have a lot more in common than meets the eye.
Most articles explained that now there will be a second round, and then - if needed - a third. Through all this, the President will support Belka, and some commentators have suggested that by the end of the third round, Belka may yet come out on top. Amidst this wonderful example of democracy at work, Fitch cut Poland's credit rating by one point, and the zloty continued to decline against the dollar. If Belka does fail, elections will be brought forward a year to this August, with Lepper and Donald Tusk's Civic Platform (PO) party vying for glory. Although support for Lepper has slipped in the polls over the last month, as one market analyst pointed out, Lepper as Prime Minister would be a "real drama" in the short term.
However, there is one aspect of this story that hasn't yet made the world's English language press: Polish radio recently reported that Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) deputies (the ones that will be out of a job after election day) have between them taken out some zł.42 million in mortgages and other credit. Suddenly faced with the prospect of not being able to pay the bills a year earlier than expected, there is a strong rumor in the Sejm that Belka may get the support he needs after all.
