Party pressure forces Belka into U-turn on verifying key pensions and benefits

The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) Parliamentary Club met yesterday evening in Miedzyszyn with the presence of Prime Minister Marek Belka and Health Minister Marek Balicki. The meeting was held as SLD party members have expressed discontent at the plans of the current government. The first issue of contention is the continuation of the Hausner plan and in particular Sejm projects concerning the verification of disability pensions, social insurance and sickness benefits. Polish Social Democracy (SDPL) and part of the SLD have announced that the government has broken earlier agreements that declared SLD support for Belka provided that he abandon these steps. As a result of the meeting, the Prime Minister promised to withdraw these projects from the Sejm agenda. The second issue discussed was the recent appointment of Marek Balicki as Health Minister and Mirosław Gronicki as Finance Minister, who were appointed without any prior discussion. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 4) A.K.