Minority government to be created after UW ministers vacate their portfolios

The center-right coalition of Freedom Union (UW) and Solidarity Election Action (AWS) has collapsed creating a minority AWS government. Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek and his AWS ministers will remain in office, but the five UW ministers will have to be replaced immediately. UW leader Leszek Balcerowicz says talks aimed at salvaging the coalition failed to guarantee AWS backbenchers would start backing the government during voting on vital issues in the Sejm. AWS, on the other hand, believes it had no alternative but to collapse the coalition after UW rejected its concession to change the Prime Minister. AWS and UW have, nevertheless, agreed that UW deputies would continue to back the government on most legislation relating to tax, the budget and European integration. (Prawo i Gospodarka, page 1, Gazeta Wyborcza, page 1) S.M.