New Left's MP Dariusz Wieczorek told the Radio Information Agency IAR that after the leaders' agreement is concluded, the program teams will start their work on specific areas. He adds that plans need to be prepared for the new government, so it has the "road map" ready immediately after it is formed.
Wieczorek also emphasised that one of the most important issues to be resolved is unlocking the EU money for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, "frozen" so far due to conflicts between the EU and the Law and Justice majority government ruling Poland for since 2015. He also pointed out salary increases for the budget sector as a key issue of the talks.
Robert Biedroń, one of the New Left leaders, also informed the Polish Press Agency PAP about the plans for the upcoming meeting in Warsaw. - "Everything is on the right track and our government-forming talks will continue. Another round is planned for Monday" - Biedroń said. - "We will definitely come to an agreement, divide the tasks and find common ground in this regard. The foundations are already in place" - he added. Biedroń also admitted that his formation would strive for Włodzimierz Czarzasty, who is currently a Deputy Speaker, to become the Speaker of Poland's Parliament lower house Sejm.
Poland's 2023 parliamentary elections were held on Sunday, October 15. Although the ballot was once again won by Law and Justice, with 194 seats its result is insufficient to create a parliamentary majority this time. On Tuesday last week, the leaders of Poland's major opposition parties Civic Coalition (157 seats), Third Way (65 seats) and the New Left (26 seats) declared that their common candidate for prime minister is the Civic Coalition leader, Donald Tusk.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Poland's President Andrzej Duda held consultations with representatives of electoral committees that guaranteed themselves parliamentary seats. In a statement issued after the meetings, the President emphasised that there are two political groups that both claim to have a parliamentary majority, with each having a candidate for prime minister - Law and Justice and a coalition of three leading opposition parties.
The President declared that he would use the constitutional time available to him to make a decision, setting the date of the inaugural session of the Sejm for November 13, by when the choice would be announced.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Gazeta.pl