Polish election winners seeks talks on new govt
The leader of the winning party in Poland’s election pledged today to move ahead quickly on forming a coalition government to tackle economic problems that include the European Union’s highest unemployment rate.
Two centre-right parties promising tax cuts overwhelmingly won yesterday’s parliamentary election as voters punished a left-wing government tarnished by corruption scandals.
With 90% of votes counted, the conservative Law and Justice Party and the free-market Civic Platform had a commanding combined majority, with 26.8% and 24.2% respectively of yesterday’s vote.
The two parties were formed by one-time activists from the anti-communist Solidarity movement.
Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told reporters that finding economic compromise with Civic Platform was his top priority.
“We are ready to start talks with Civic Platform on the economic programme, once the official results are announced,” Kaczynski told reporters in Warsaw.
Final figures were expected later today.
He noted that the parties have extensive common ground, including calls for tax cuts. But he said his party would hold out against the centrepiece of Civic Platform’s programme – a 15% flat-rate tax for individuals, businesses and on consumption.
“Today in Polish life, the most important issue is that of establishing an economic programme,” Kaczynski said.
“We want to open talks. We believe they can be effective,” he added. “There are differences of opinion, ... but we’re absolutely sure that we need to lower taxes for the Polish economy to move forward.”
Kaczynski’s party, however, favours retaining higher tax rates for the wealthy and offering tax breaks for large families.
Projections gave the two parties about 285 seats in parliament’s 460-member lower house – offering them a solid base from which to tackle problems that include a jobless rate of 17.8%, the EU’s highest.
Talks on ministerial posts were expected later this week.
Law and Justice is generally more sceptical of the EU than the ousted government.
It favours adopting the euro, but only in 2012 and only after a referendum, while it opposed the failed EU draft constitution. It also favours the death penalty – despite Poland’s EU membership, which bars it.
Yesterday’s was the fifth fully free election since Solidarity toppled communist rule in 1989-90. Since then, no government has won re-election, and power has swung back and forth between reformed communists and conservative groups such as this year’s winners.
The returns showed only 11.4% support for the governing Democratic Left Alliance, a dramatic fall from the 41% that swept it to power four years ago. The anti-EU Self Defence party, with 11.7% of votes, was set to become the third largest force in parliament.
As was the case in Germany’s election a week ago, Polish voters appeared to baulk at the prospect of drastic cuts to welfare benefits by giving the strongest backing to Law and Justice, which stresses concern for social equality.
But the campaign failed to captivate a largely apathetic electorate, with turnout – at just 40.17% – the lowest for a parliamentary election in post-communist Poland.
Formation of a government will be complicated by the fact that Kaczynski’s identical twin brother, Lech, is running in next month’s presidential election.
To avoid having lookalike leaders occupy the county’s two top political positions, Jaroslaw Kaczynski repeated his promise that he would not take the prime minister’s post if his brother, Warsaw’s mayor, wins his race.
The prime minister has most executive powers in the government. The president can veto and suggest legislation, represents Poland abroad, and is commander of the armed forces.
