Forget early elections
Last week's events proved that the Adidas slogan 'Impossible is nothing' applies to Polish politics as much as it does to sports. A month after Self-defense (SO) leader Andrzej Lepper was expelled from the government, after he exchanged insults with Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński, and after the 'Begergate' corruption scandal, it seemed that there would be no way for SO to return to the cabinet.
A lack of options
But after failing to lure away some of Lepper's deputies to Law and Justice (PiS) and in the face of unfavorable opinion polls, Kaczyński offered Lepper a return to the coalition and his post as Minister of Agriculture. Despite having to swallow their pride, PiS officials presented the resurrection of the coalition as a success.
"We choose the reform of the state, even at the expense of our image," said PiS' Whip Marek Kuchciński.
New safeguards
To guarantee the stability of the renewed coalition, and avoid arguments that could lead to another parliamentary crisis, the coalition parties introduced new cooperation rules and conflict-solving measures. The party leaderships are to meet before every session of parliament. Each party will also have an Undersecretary of State in the Prime Minister's Chancellery, which will try to solve potential conflicts at their outset.
"There are no winners. The winner is Poland," said Lepper, summing up his party's return to the coalition.
Opposite opinions
Nevertheless, the opposition did not share his point of view. "Andrzej Lepper's return to the government is not reactivation but recidivism," Peasants' Party (PSL) leader Waldemar Pawlak said. Civic Platform (PO) and Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) submitted motions to dissolve the parliament and thereby call early elections.
The opposition and the coalition exchanged strong words and accusations during a heated Sejm debate. "In this Sejm no government with a stable majority can be formed that would be willing to solve ordinary people's problems," said PO leader Donald Tusk. "This is a coalition of shame and fear. Shame towards voters and fear of elections," said SLD's Jerzy Szmajdziński. PiS' Kuchciński said that SLD members are trying to draw attention away from their crimes by voting to dissolve parliament, while he accused PO of joining forces with the post-communists.
Both motions to dissolve parliament were rejected along partisan lines. PO and SLD voted in favor of earlier elections, PSL's deputies abstained, while the three coalition parties and National Peasants' Movement (RLN) - a group of Deputies who left various parliamentary clubs - voted against the motions.
