In the spotlight: Nelly Rokita

Following this appointment, Jan Rokita shocked the public by announcing that he would not run for re-election out of respect for his wife, whose new employer is a co-founder of the Law and Justice (PiS) party.

Both developments are high-profile blows to PO. Political analysts see Jan Rokita's departure as merely an excuse, however, to move away from long-standing conflicts with other PO members in Kraków. On leaving, Rokita said that he had no plans to join Law and Justice.

This is not the first time marital loyalty has taken precedence over politics for the Rokitas. In January of this year, Nelly Rokita spectacularly took leave of PO after she publicly blamed the party for treating her husband unfairly and "turning left."

Nelly Rokita née Arnold was born in Chelyabinsk, Russia and when she was in her teens, her family emigrated to West Germany. She first met her future husband in 1985 during a visit to Kraków and they married in 1994.

Before joining Civic Platform in 2001, Nelly Rokita was active in the Conservative People's Party (SKL). In 2003 she became the president of the European Union of Women and in 2005 assumed the presidency of its Polish branch.

Nelly Rokita's work for Lech Kaczyński is only the first step towards PiS. She is likely to take second position on PiS's election list in Warsaw during the upcoming elections. As WBJ went to press an announcement on the matter was forthcoming.