In the past weeks, factions inside Poland’s Law and Justice party have clashed over leadership and policy, threatening to derail the party’s agenda before Tuesday’s Christmas‑eve gathering in Warsaw.
Factional Disputes – Who’s Gone Astray in PiS?
Over recent weeks, Law and Justice (PiS) has been split by internal fighting as the party’s poll numbers decline. The latest flare‑up began with a Monday X post from former TVP boss Jacek Kurski, which was immediately condemned by former prime minister allies, including MPs Piotr Müller, Waldemar Buda, Janusz Cieszyński, Grzegorz Puda and Paweł Jabłoński. Puda called Kurski’s attempt to find a new political footing a shameful mistake, while Müller demanded the post be deleted.
The criticism was part of a broader set of complaints that have been directed at Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for weeks by a bloc led by former vice‑premier Jacek Sasin, former Minister of Economy Przemysław Czarnek and the MPs Patryk Jaki and Tobiasz Bocheński. They accuse Morawiecki of losing loyalty and of pushing a “national unity government” with Donald Tusk in the event of war, citing a recent Gazeta.pl interview. Their frustration also centers on Morawiecki’s self‑proclaimed primacy and the party’s perceived drift toward a more liberal platform.
A Near‑Civilizational Rift
Beyond power struggles, the core split lies in PiS’s ideological direction. The “library” faction—touted as the more moderate wing—argues for a return to conservative tradition and a rejection of what they see as mistakes of former Prime Minister Matusz. They accuse Morawiecki of steering PiS toward a “big tent” that appeals to centrist voters, thereby alienating the party’s right‑leaning base.
Opponents caution that a radical rightward turn would alienate even moderate voters and reduce the party’s appeal at the national level. One MP who supports Morawiecki warned that he would not sign onto a programme that steers into “Braunism,” referring to the far‑right Confederation. Another member stressed that the party would lose its moderate electorate if it moves toward “radicalism with Braun.”
Christmas Eve in PiS
The plan for a party‑wide Christmas gathering on Tuesday at the PiS headquarters on Nowogrodzka Street in Warsaw is intended to unite rival factions. The event will feature representatives of both the Morawiecki loyalists, including Morawiecki himself, and the challengers, such as Jacek Sasin and Przemysław Czarnek. Some attendees expect the gathering to transition into a separate feast organized by the former premier.
Meanwhile, Morawiecki’s absence from a Politically Committee meeting in Brzozów, where he was supposed to join former premier Beata Szydło and former Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek, was seen by some as a deliberate slight to Jarosław Kaczyński. Despite this, the party’s leadership claims no intention to split and is hoping to reconcile the factions before the holiday.
