Family Act

22 October 2007



Poles Throw out Prime Minister Kaczynski

Poland voted yesterday to get rid of the Law and Justice Party of Jaroslaw Kaczynski. His twin brother Lech remains as president until 2010 when his term expires. The new PM is Donald Tusk, whose Civic Platform is on course for around 208 of the 460 seats in the Sejm. The Polish Peasants’ Party should pick up three dozen or so and form a coalition with Mr. Tusk. Poland will be a little less polarized as a result.

“Prickly” is the word that best describes the out-going government. Law and Justice seemed determine to pick fights with the European Union at every turn, which is not a very good idea for a middle-sized state like Poland. European leaders are making no secret of the fact that they are happy with the result. European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering said, “It is a good signal for Europe. And things will surely get a bit easier between Germany and Poland.” The Kaczynski twins had even demanded Poland get more votes in the European Parliament because of the suffering Poland endured during World War II.

The Russian government is thrilled as well. Vasily Likhachev, deputy chairman of the international affairs committee in the upper house of parliament, told reporters, “Today positive signals are coming from Warsaw about the need to overcome stagnation in relations. These signals will result not only in improving dialogue between Moscow and Warsaw but also in improving European dialogue."

However, there isn’t going to be a big change in policies so much as a change of tone. Lena Bobinska of Warsaw’s Institute of Public Affairs said, “In terms of style and language the new approach will be completely different. Civic Platform will not make a dramatic change of policy, but they will be most welcome in Europe. Probably the policy will be less pro-American, but they [relations with Washington] don’t have to be worse than before. Poland’s relations with Germany will improve and that is very good for the US. It wants a strong Poland in Europe.”

There will be one change that America will notice, though. Poland’s 900 troops in Iraq-Nam will be leaving. The Coalition of the Willing will be losing one of its founding members, as Poland was one of the most supportive allies in Mr. Bush misbegotten war. Mr. Tusk will keep relations friendly with America, but he has no reason to continue his predecessor’s errors.

© Copyright 2007 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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