Poland 2050 defectors form new Centrum club, plan to launch liberal-probusiness party amid political realignments.
The New Club
A group of over 20 politicians, including several MPs and senators, left Poland 2050 on Wednesday to establish an 18-member parliamentary club named Centrum. Mirosław Suchoń is expected to chair the club, led by Climate Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska.
The club features figures like Ryszard Petru, Aleksandra Leo, and Ewa Szymanowska. Hennig-Kloska emphasized Centrum’s goal to foster balanced compromises and counter Poland’s recent political extremes.
Political Vision
Centrum will adopt a liberal, probusiness orientation, according to Senator Piotr Masłowski. He noted most members belong to Generation X, which currently leads key financial and societal institutions, and rejected aligning with leftist rhetoric.
The group plans to launch a formal party named Centrum. Its branding features a green-blue-maroon “C” logo, signaling a centrist positioning against perceived ideological polarization.
Possible Alliance
Discussions are underway for potential collaboration with another centrist startup, Nowa Polska, founded by mayors including Gliwice’s Zygmunt Frankiewicz and Opole’s Arkadiusz Wiśniewski.
Both movements share common ground and may unite for the 2027 parliamentary elections, pending favorable polling. A joint Senate grouping involving Centrum’s three senators and Nowa Polska’s senators is also under consideration.
Senate Dynamics
The Senate currently hosts a 12-member PSL-Poland 2050 joint club. Centrum’s senators—Masłowski, Jacek Trela, and Grzegorz Fedorowicz—may join forces with Nowa Polska to form a new Senate bloc if they exit the existing group.
General Mirosław Różański recently ended his cooperation with Poland 2050’s club but intends to remain in the Senate’s Third Way coalition.
Broader Exits
Recent departures from Poland 2050 include MPs Izabela Bodnar, Joanna Mucha, Paweł Zalewski, and Michał Kobosko, alongside non-parliamentary figures like Anna Radwan-Röhrenschef.
Centrum members suggest Tomasz Zimoch, who left in 2023, might join. Bodnar confirmed her exit after her party leader’s secret opposition talks. Mucha and Zalewski declined to join Centrum, opting to remain unaffiliated MPs.
Coalition Hopes
Centrum figures are exploring collaboration with the Civic Coalition (KO), with KO MPs noting longstanding productive ties with members like Szymanowska and Leo.
KO expressed openness to welcoming Joanna Mucha back but suggested Paweł Zalewski—a former PO member—might better align with PSL due to conservative views. A KO source stated: “From afar, cooperation seems natural.”
