Treasury Minister Kaczmarek survives vote of no confidence in Sejm

Wieslaw Kaczmarek will remain as Treasury Minister after the Sejm yesterday rejected a Law and Justice (PiS) and Civic Platform (PO) motion of no confid ence against him. The opposition accused Kaczmarek of jeopardizing the count ry's energy supply after he last year sacked the management of Polish Oil an d Gas (PGNiG) and questioned a long-term gas contract signed by the previous government with Norway, saying that Russian gas was cheaper. Commenting afte r the vote, Kaczmarek said he had not been particularly upset, and only regr etted the number of false statements that had been presented. In total 251 d eputies voted against dismissing Kaczmarek, 169 voted for the motion, and 13 deputies abstained. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3; Reuters) P.J.