WARSAW (Reuters) – Former European Council President Donald Tusk is expected to be appointed Poland’s prime minister on Monday, signaling a return to the European mainstream after eight years of nationalist rule that critics say has seen a decline in democracy.
Critics say PiS has undermined the independence of the judiciary, turned state-owned media into a propaganda pipeline and stoked bias against minorities such as immigrants and the LGBT community.
Poland, a member of the European Union and NATO, has witnessed an unprecedented level of interest in the work of the legislature since the October 15 elections that gave the majority to a broad coalition of pro-EU parties headed by Tusk.
Subscriptions to the chamber’s YouTube channel have risen significantly since it resumed work, to about 463,000 subscribers at 1029 GMT on Monday.
Some sessions attracted more than a million viewers on the platform, and one Warsaw cinema even decided to show Monday’s session on the big screen, attracting so much attention that about 2,000 people were on the waiting list for tickets.
“Ready, set, go!” Tusk wrote on the social media platform X, reflecting the sense of anticipation felt by his supporters on a day some described as the most important in Poland since the fall of communism in 1989.
Poland’s first democratically elected president after the fall of communism, Solidarity trade union leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa, was present and received a standing ovation from the coalition that was set to take power.
Walesa, 80, was wearing a jacket bearing the word “Constitution,” which PiS opponents wear to show their condemnation of what they say is democratic backsliding under the party’s rule. Walesa, 80, had just left hospital after contracting the coronavirus to attend.
The Law and Justice Party came in first place in the elections, and President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the party, gave the party the first opportunity to form a government.
However, this seems almost impossible as current Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki lacks a majority and all other parties have ruled out working with PiS.
The party’s eight years in power were marked by numerous disputes with the European Union over issues including judicial independence, the rule of law and minority rights, and led to the freezing of billions of dollars in funds from the Union.
Europe Homelands
Morawiecki addressed the council on Monday, comparing what he said was a sovereign Poland providing good living standards under PiS with Tusk’s previous term in office from 2007 to 2014.
PiS says Tusk’s liberal policies made Poland subservient to foreign interests and created an economy in which many citizens had no choice but to emigrate in order to earn a living.
“We have presented a new social and economic model, which are the first steps towards creating a solidarity state,” Morawiecki said.
He also made clear his view on what he believes relations with the European Union should look like.
He said, “Europe is the homeland of fathers, not a Europe without homelands – we do not agree to taking powers away from states.”
A female lawmaker from Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO) stood and turned her back to Morawiecki as he spoke as a sign of protest.
At around 1400 GMT, Morawiecki will face a confidence vote that he is almost certain to lose.
The task of choosing a new prime minister will then fall to Parliament, where Tusk has clear majority support. Then he will deliver a speech to the hall on Tuesday.
Showman
Poland’s October elections saw a record turnout of 74%, with people queuing in some locations for hours to cast their ballots.
“Many people… consider what happened in Poland a miracle,” said Katarzyna Lobenauer, a lawmaker for Tusk’s Civic coalition, referring to the opposition’s success in mobilizing voters despite the hostility of the state-controlled media. .
“So the Poles are interested in what happens in parliament, in this change.”
Some observers also attributed the increased interest in appointing a celebrity as Speaker of Parliament.
Simon Holonia’s no-nonsense debate mode has charmed many viewers who first knew him as the host of a prime-time talent show.
“Simon Holonia, the star of the show, turns the scene into a suitable spectacle,” said Anna Materska Sosnowska, a professor of political science at the University of Warsaw.
“He makes fun of people, he jokes, but he does it in a very civilized way.”
However, not everyone is a fan.
“From the point of view of a humble parliamentarian, I would prefer a president who is not entirely focused on information and entertainment,” said Radoslav Vogiel, a PiS lawmaker.
(Reporting by Alan Scharlesh, Pawel Florkiewicz, Kuba Stezecki, Anna Cooper; Writing by Alan Scharlesh; Editing by Ross Russell)
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