Editor's note: No laughing matter

After a few days of relative calm, following the signing of the stabilization pact, the situation in Poland returned to the familiar situation of the last few months, which is a permanent lack of stability on the political scene.

The ruling Law and Justice have again given us a political spectacle. President Lech Kaczyƒski for many long hours kept the whole country in suspense wondering whether he would dissolve parliament or not. There was much speculation circulating on the markets, the indexes were bouncing up and down like mad, and Poles were divided into two groups - those who are sick and tired of the political uncertainty and prefer earlier elections, which would put a halt to the circus that this parliament has become, and those who are so tired of the constant uncertainty that the prospect of earlier elections seem like insanity.

Businesspeople doubt whether there is a method to this presidential madness. They claim that  Law and Justice is playing a game with this political instability; that it is aiming to frighten its weaker coalition partners and humiliate its would-be coalition partner Civic Platform. But PiS is forgetting  one thing - the game is fun only temporarily. When someone plays the same gag over and over again, eventually people stop laughing.

For the economy, on one hand it's good - the markets are becoming resistant to PiS' weirdness. On the other hand there is a danger that politicians, once they realize their jokes are no longer funny, will try to invent new ones. And then nobody will be laughing.

Eliza Durka

Editor-in-chief