Sejm divided over 2002 budget, with opposition parties calling for changes

The Sejm spent its entire session yesterday debating the budget for 2002. "The proposed budget is first of all the beginning of the process of fixing the economy's finances, which will initiate and bring to life a new philosophy of public finance," Finance Minister Marek Belka said in defense of his plan. However, the new budget found support only from the ruling coalition of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Labor Union (UP) and Polish Peasants Party (PSL). The remaining parties were critical of the proposals. Civic Platform (PO) representatives said that many changes will have to be made to the bill and that the government is being too cautious with the consolidation of public finances. Jaroslaw Kaczynski of Law and Justice (PiS) agreed, commenting, "This budget is on a grand scale a continuation budget. It is not a plan for long-term changes in the Polish economy and in public finances." The budget was rejected out of hand by Samoobrona and the Polish Families League (LPR). (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B2) A.K.