Economist Petru to set up new liberal grouping

A new political grouping established by economist Ryszard Petru, head of the Association of Polish Economists and former adviser to Leszek Balcerowicz, had its forming congress on Sunday. The Nowoczesna PL (Modern PL) association aims at liberalizing the economy and plans to run in the fall parliamentary elections. "The current political debate is futile," said Petru. "There is no real discussion about the health service, about the education system," added Petru, explaining why he decided to set up a grassroots movement. Nowoczesna PL wants more freedom for entrepreneurship, limit MPs' terms to two, stop financing political parties from the state's budget and to reform the welfare system. Some 9,000 people attended the congress.