The leaders of the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), the centre-right Third Way alliance and the New Left party made the appeal at a joint news conference in Warsaw on Tuesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Civic Coalition leader Donald Tusk, a former prime minister, said: “Today, together with the leaders of other democratic parties, we have confirmed our readiness to fully cooperate and create a new majority in the future parliament.”
Tusk added that it was “an important announcement” on a day when the president was set to start talks with political party leaders on the formation of a new government after parliamentary elections.
He thanked fellow opposition parties for “declaring that the leader of the biggest opposition party will be entrusted with the mission of creating the new government.”
Tusk, who served as the president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019, announced that his Civic Coalition, the Third Way and the New Left were “ready to form a government.”
Meanwhile, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the leader of the rural-based Polish People’s Party (PSL), part of the Third Way alliance, said the opposition wanted the president to convene the first session of the new parliament “as soon as possible.”
Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters in parliament: “We are determined to secure a parliamentary majority from among the democratic parties. Today and tomorrow, we’ll jointly confirm ... Donald Tusk as our candidate for prime minister ... We will assure the president that we have the necessary majority to support our candidates for prime minister and parliamentary Speakers."
Tuesday’s statement was also endorsed by Szymon Hołownia, the leader of the centre-right Poland 2050 grouping, the second partner in the Third Way alliance, and New Left politician Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the PAP news agency reported.
Czarzasty said: “The Left supports entrusting Donald Tusk with the mission of forming a government.”
He urged the president "to launch the procedure of appointing a new government as soon as possible," the PAP news agency reported.
The ruling conservatives won Poland's October 15 election, but lost their parliamentary majority, increasing the likelihood of an opposition government.
The governing Law and Justice party, allied with two smaller groupings in a United Right coalition, claimed 35.4 percent of the vote and 194 seats in elections to the lower house of parliament.
Meanwhile, the largest opposition bloc, the Civic Coalition, led by the Civic Platform (PO) party, won 30.7 percent of the vote and 157 seats.
The Third Way alliance finished third at the ballot box with 14.4 percent of the vote and 65 seats, and the opposition New Left party finished fourth with 8.6 percent and 26 seats.
The far-right Confederation group, with 7.2 percent of the vote, also crossed the 5-percent voter support threshold that Polish parties need to clear to enter parliament. It secured 18 lower-house seats.
The Civic Coalition, the Third Way and the New Left together hold 248 seats in the 460-seat lower house.
In addition to seizing control of the lower house, the opposition won 66 senatorial seats, while the ruling conservatives secured 34 seats in the upper house of Poland's bicameral parliament.
The 100-seat upper house, the Senate, is less powerful than the lower chamber, but it can delay or amend legislation. The Sejm, the lower house, needs to muster an absolute majority to override Senate amendments.
Poland to appoint new government
Under the Polish constitution, the new parliament must convene for the first time within 30 days of the election.
The president then has 14 days to nominate a candidate for prime minister. Once named, the nominee has 14 days to secure a vote of confidence from lawmakers. If this attempt is unsuccessful, parliament then selects its own nominee for prime minister.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, gazetaprawna.pl