Editor's note: To have your cake and eat it

I say unfortunately, because instead of working hard on a 2006 budget and mending public finances, the new government and MPs are wasting their time on pointless political games, whose goal - if you look at them from the point of view of the state's welfare - was doubtful at best.

Law and Justice (PiS) - the authors of the whole mess and the party that won the elections and formed a minority cabinet - really wants to have its cake and eat it.

They don't want to share the real power with a prospective coalition partner.

Instead they want other parties to vote in favor of their bills, especially in favor of the bill that is most important for all governments - the budget.

PiS is now threatening other parties that if they fail to pass the budget, earlier elections will be held and PiS has no reason to fear them as their party is still a leader in all the opinion polls.

At the same time, the party is initiating coalition talks with all the remaining parties and is looking for the least choosy partner who will join them on the least favorable conditions for PiS.

With its own government and president, PiS feels it controls the situation. The problem is that the situation is slipping out of PiS' control in an increasingly spectacular fashion.

From the perspective of the Polish economy, the worst thing is that economics is no longer a priority for the current government. During the last parliamentary crisis one could easily observe this fact.

In order to reach their immediate political goals, PiS is ready to form an alliance with any party that will accept their conditions, regardless of that party's views on economic reform and the state's economic policy. Such egoistic political thinking that focuses exclusively on power isn't good for the state, and it certainly doesn't bode well for its future.

Eliza Durka

Editor-in-chief