Jurek to form new party

Marek Jurek, outgoing Speaker of the Sejm, will form a new party. The move could divide the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) and possibly trigger early elections. Jurek resigned from his position and from his membership of PiS, where he was deputy chairman, on April 13, following the Sejm's rejection of amendments to strengthen Poland's abortion law.

Last week, four PiS deputies decided to join Jurek, including Adam Zawisza and Marian Piłka. If enough Sejm deputies follow, the three-party ruling coalition could lose its majority in parliament. This might lead to early elections one and a half years into the parliamentary term. However, Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński said that there would be no reason to hold early polls unless Jurek gathers enough support to deprive the ruling coalition of a majority in Parliament.

PiS politicians were clearly angry, although they downplayed the prospect of more PiS deputies leaving the party to join the Speaker. Jurek, an ardent pro-life campaigner and supporter of Christian values in public life, is likely to invite deputies with conservative Christian views to join him. However, Jurek said that his new party will support the government on many issues.

The abortion row was the latest crisis to hit the three-party coalition of PiS, the nationalist Catholic League of Polish Families (LPR) and leftist Self-defense. LPR backed Jurek in the parliamentary vote to tighten the already strict abortion laws. Andrzej Lepper, the leader of Self-defense, said that he would rather hold early elections than rule in a minority government. (Reuters)