Yes for Belka, yes for stability
Political and economic stability look certain following Prime Minister Marek Belka's confidence vote victory.
Belka and his Cabinet cleared the crucial parliamentary vote on Friday night by a 16 votes. The comfortable margin eliminates any immediate need to proceed to early elections.
A 'no' would have meant a return to political turmoil and instability on the markets.
"I was sure that the chances were great, but I wasn't sure," Belka said immediately are learning of his victory.
Needing only a simple majority, Belka garnered 234 votes, with 218 voting against him and one abstention. The lively debate ensured an almost full attendance of 452 deputies of a total of 460.
The positive vote had been largely expected; markets had already discounted Belka winning the vote of confidence. During the week, the złoty hit a five-and-a-half-year high against the US dollar, as well as a 17-month high against the euro.
The vote follows a promise made by Belka when he won a June 24 confidence vote after establishing a new government in May. Belka had promised his Cabinet would undergo another vote of confidence once it had submitted a 2005 budget. The government submitted the budget at the end of September.
Earlier in the week, Belka said he will propose that new parliamentary elections be held in the second half of May 2005, instead of autumn 2005, to enable the next government to prepare its own budget.
In Poland, parliamentary elections are traditionally held in September or October, the time of year when the country's government prepares the state budget. When a new government comes to power, it then inherits the budget prepared by the previous government.
Belka, a member of ruling SLD party, was appointed by Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski as Poland's acting Prime Minister on May 2, when former Prime Minister Leszek Miller and his Cabinet resigned amidst waves of record-low voter support.
Belka and his Cabinet cleared the crucial parliamentary vote on Friday night by a 16 votes. The comfortable margin eliminates any immediate need to proceed to early elections.
A 'no' would have meant a return to political turmoil and instability on the markets.
"I was sure that the chances were great, but I wasn't sure," Belka said immediately are learning of his victory.
Needing only a simple majority, Belka garnered 234 votes, with 218 voting against him and one abstention. The lively debate ensured an almost full attendance of 452 deputies of a total of 460.
The positive vote had been largely expected; markets had already discounted Belka winning the vote of confidence. During the week, the złoty hit a five-and-a-half-year high against the US dollar, as well as a 17-month high against the euro.
The vote follows a promise made by Belka when he won a June 24 confidence vote after establishing a new government in May. Belka had promised his Cabinet would undergo another vote of confidence once it had submitted a 2005 budget. The government submitted the budget at the end of September.
Earlier in the week, Belka said he will propose that new parliamentary elections be held in the second half of May 2005, instead of autumn 2005, to enable the next government to prepare its own budget.
In Poland, parliamentary elections are traditionally held in September or October, the time of year when the country's government prepares the state budget. When a new government comes to power, it then inherits the budget prepared by the previous government.
Belka, a member of ruling SLD party, was appointed by Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski as Poland's acting Prime Minister on May 2, when former Prime Minister Leszek Miller and his Cabinet resigned amidst waves of record-low voter support.
