Polish Prime Minister Resigns

Poland’s President accepts the resignation of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet following their party’s crushing loss in the October 2007 Parliamentary elections.

On November 5, 2007, Poland’s Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski submitted his resignation to the nation’s President, his twin brother Lech Kaczynski. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet are stepping down after his party’s loss in the October Parliamentary elections.

President Kaczynski accepted the government’s resignation, but asked the Cabinet to continue its duties until a new government is sworn in. It is expected that Donald Tusk, head of the election-winning, pro-market Civic Platform Party, will become Poland’s new Prime Minister and form the new government.

Tusk has already selected some new ministers, such as Radoslaw Sikorski for Foreign Minister. Sikorski is a former defense minister in Kaczynski’s government.

This news is a positive sign after President Kaczynski initially refused to acknowledge the election results. Perhaps by accepting his brother’s resignation, the President has come to terms with the election results.

Still, rumors have persisted that Kaczynski will try to delay the formation of a new government. It the 2008 budget is not approved by a constitutional deadline at the end of January, the President can dismiss the existing Parliament and call for fresh elections. Let’s hope this is not the case, and the President will work with the new government to create a new and better Poland.