Poland’s leading Law and Justice party launched formal coalition talks on Monday, with a strengthened hand a day after its candidate, Lech Kaczynski, won the presidency.
Kaczynski won with 54% of Sunday’s vote, compared with 46% for opponent Donald Tusk, of the pro-market Civic Platform party, the State Election Commission said on Monday after 100% of the votes were counted.
His victory opened the way for fully-fledged talks between Law and Justice — headed by Kaczynski’s identical twin, Jaroslaw — and Civic Platform. The two parties won a combined conservative majority in parliamentary elections on September 25.
The rivalry between the two parties’ presidential candidates had slowed down coalition talks in past weeks, but leaders on Monday stressed that clarity achieved with the presidential race over would allow them now to press ahead quickly.
”I am determined to form this coalition,” Prime Minister-designate Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz told reporters in Warsaw at the start of talks. ”Poland and Poles expect that.”
While Civic Platform echoed the optimism, it also gave signals that it expects to see some of its free-market policies reflected in the government’s programme, despite its defeat. The two parties differ on economics, with Law and Justice favouring social welfare spending that could make it hard to balance the Budget.
Civic Platform wants to cut spending and the Budget deficits to speed up Poland’s adoption of the euro. Law and Justice also wants to adopt the currency, but only after a referendum in 2010.
”We expect a meaningful participation of Platform in the government, and we expect far-reaching concessions,” said Jan Rokita, the Civic Platform leader billed to be deputy prime minister. ”This is the logic of the situation.”
The talks could be difficult, as Law and Justice is expected to toughen its position after consolidating power with control of the presidency.
The 56-year-old Kaczynski was quoted in Monday’s issue of the Rzeczpospolita daily as saying he plans to quit as Warsaw mayor after the city’s 2006 budget is drafted, but he gave no date. He is to be inaugurated as president on December 23.
Kaczynski sought to dispel fears that his victory, which puts both the government and the presidency in the hands of the Law and Justice party, may disturb the coalition.
”I believe the coalition will take form, and Donald Tusk will continue to be an influential politician in Poland,” he told Rzeczpospolita. Tusk served as deputy speaker in the previous Parliament.
Kaczynski’s has promised to stand up to Germany — though the two countries enjoy good relations. The campaign pledge appeared to have been aimed at older voters who remember World War II.
He also promised to maintain pensions and social benefits, another pledge that apparently helped him win the votes of Poles over 60 years old. Within that demographic he won 61% to Tusk’s 39%, according to exit polls for TVN24.
Kaczynski supports tax cuts, but prefers the system under which high earners pay more, and advocates tax breaks for those with large families. His campaign also stressed Roman Catholic stands, such as opposition to both abortion and gay rights.
Kaczynski had faced scepticism from some voters because his identical twin brother, Jaroslaw, heads the Law and Justice party; some have said they do not want one family to hold too much power.
Jaroslaw abandoned his claim to become prime minister in favour of Marcinkiewicz, who until last month was a little-known party official.
Lech Kaczynski has said he will leave Law and Justice, although there is no requirement that he do so. — Sapa-AP
Associated Press writer Ela Kasprzycka in Warsaw contributed to this report