PO and SLD block moves to table no-confidence vote in Economy Minister

During yesterday's vote in the Sejm concerning the motion of the Polish Families League (LPR) and Self-Defense to dismiss Economy Minister Jerzy Hausner, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the Labor Union (UP) were supported in their stand against the request by the Civic Platform (PO). Law and Justice (PiS) abstained from voting. Bogdan Pęk from the LPR, who had called for the vote of no-confidence, argued that Hausner's plan, which envisaged the verification of pensions, and extension of the years worked before one can retire, as a "Transfer of costs related to joining the EU on the least wealthy." He also criticized Hausner for not managing to successfully tackle unemployment and said that the biggest success of the "First Job" program was a young Agriculture Minister. Pęk also warned the SLD during the accompanying Parliamentary debate, that if the SLD continues to act in the way they are, then they will end up like the AWS. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 24; Rzeczpospolita, p. A5) A.K.