Rumors about a possible reconstruction of his government by Prime Minister Donald Tusk can be heard more and more often in the media and on the sidelines of the Sejm.
After taking power in Poland, Donald Tusk announced that he would closely monitor the actions of his ministers and evaluate the work of individual ministries. However, the government was not reconstituted before the holidays, and the election calendar means that any changes to the composition of the Council of Ministers will be postponed again.
Election calendar requirements
Michał Kolanko writes in “Rzeczpospolita” that the recurring topic of rebuilding the government arises from the upcoming anniversary of the parliamentary elections of October 15, 2023. The coalition partners of the Civic Platform have already announced a certain summary – the left will do it on December 7. , and the day before yesterday the leader of this group, Szymon Hołownia, spoke at the Poland 2050 convention about concluding the “first round”.
The most important topic currently on the agenda of all political parties is next year’s presidential elections. In the case of the Civic Coalition, however, it is not entirely certain whether Rafał Trzaskowski will ultimately be the group’s candidate in the race for the presidential palace. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and of course Prime Minister Tusk himself, whose candidacy can never be certain, also express their ambitions.
The weaker the government, the more difficulties, the stronger Tusk itself builds. This was visible during the flood and in the polls afterwards
– said one of the anonymous interlocutors in an interview with “Rzeczpospolita”.
All this means that the rebuilding of the government may be postponed again.
An additional difficulty is the complex coalition composition, which consists of four parties and various other smaller groups and factions within them. This is especially evident on completely fundamental issues, such as the approach to abortion, housing or health insurance premiums. “Rzeczpospolita” reports, according to its informant, that the topic of rebuilding the government has not been raised by any of the coalition leaders so far. However, the political tension is clearly palpable.
Hazel on her way out?
Behind the scenes of the Council of Ministers, the difficult situation in healthcare is also expected to resurface. This is due to the unfulfilled promise regarding the trade in single-use e-cigarettes, and on the other hand to the serious financial problems of the National Health Fund and the resulting consequences for the operation of Polish hospitals.
In recent days, Izabela Leszczyna had an unpleasant conversation with the Prime Minister about this issue. Or rather: the fact that there is no ban, reports our government interlocutor
– one of the anonymous politicians from government circles is said to have told this to “Rzeczpospolita”.
It therefore seems that the Minister of Health is one of the most serious candidates for replacement during a possible personnel reshuffle in Donald Tusk’s cabinet. In the context of her succession, Deputy Minister of Health Jakub Szulc and KO MP Krzysztof Bojarski are mentioned.
The issue of problems in health care and in the organization of the National Health Fund would also be deepened by the issue of breathalyzers, which was not dealt with by the Ministry of Health but by the Ministry of Agriculture. This also says a lot about who has what position in the Council of Ministers and whose seat appears to be the most popular.
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– Healthcare in shambles. The National Health Fund has a deficit of PLN 15 billion to cover the costs of overdue medical services. “A Disastrous Year”
— Liquidation of district hospitals? Izabela Leszczyna: I talk to directors and starostas about consolidation
maz/”Rzeczpospolita”
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.