Around 30 Members Leave PiS as Kaczyński Confirms Party Split Attempt
PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński announced that about 30 MPs have resigned from the party following a midnight ultimatum over loyalty declarations and an alleged attempt to divide the organization....
PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński announced that about 30 MPs have resigned from the party following a midnight ultimatum over loyalty declarations and an alleged attempt to divide the organization.
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Kaczyński Confirms Resignations and Ultimatum
– We do not want to part ways, but about 30 MPs have resigned their membership in PiS, said PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, adding that the Political Committee will meet next Tuesday to acknowledge this fact.
The midnight deadline set by the Law and Justice leadership for members to sign a loyalty statement regarding political associations expired, with Mateusz Morawiecki and his allies refusing to sign while MEP Daniel Obajtek broke ranks.
Attempt to Divide the Party
Kaczyński stated that there was an attempt to divide the party proposed by a credible, significant person over at least three long conversations, leading to the conclusion that the Rozwój Plus association was part of that plan.
Signing the declaration was meant to be a commitment not to participate in such an undertaking, and because some colleagues refused, conclusions had to be drawn, according to the PiS leader.
Failed Compromise Talks
On Thursday, a three-hour meeting took place between Kaczyński and Mateusz Morawiecki, where the former prime minister presented 21 points to resolve the conflict, but Kaczyński’s indisputable condition to freeze the association’s activity was rejected.
Following the Thursday meeting, reports indicated Kaczyński considered the former prime minister’s actions “crazy” and claimed Morawiecki had “overbid.”
Internal Polls and Morawiecki’s Stance
According to Newsweek, internal party analyses showed Morawiecki’s potential party could count on 3 percent support, while internal PiS polls indicated the party would lose 0.7 percent to the new grouping.
Mateusz Morawiecki stated on television that he would not sign any loyalty declaration because it carries very bad associations, and added that he was surprised to see MP Jacek Sasin at what was supposed to be a one-on-one meeting with Kaczyński.