PiS Split Deepens as Terlecki Teases New Party Free From Infighting
Ryszard Terlecki reveals the escalating internal conflict within PiS that led to mass departures and expulsions, pointing toward the creation of a new parliamentary club and political party. Roots of...
Ryszard Terlecki reveals the escalating internal conflict within PiS that led to mass departures and expulsions, pointing toward the creation of a new parliamentary club and political party.
Table Of Content
Roots of the Conflict
Ryszard Terlecki indicates in his text that the conflict within PiS had been growing since the autumn of last year. According to him, many MPs criticized the style of media and parliamentary appearances imposed on the party by the faction of so-called “Ziobrystistas,” meaning former activists of Solidarna Polska.
Two visions of pre-election strategy clashed: the hard-right electorate course promoted by the so-called “Buttermakers” (the author lists Jacek Sasin, Tobiasz BocheÅ„ski, and Patryk Jaki among them), competing directly with Konfederacja, and Mateusz Morawiecki’s line, which assumed a return to the political center and attracting voters alienated by the dominance of the Ziobrystistas.
How the Split in PiS Occurred
The PiS MP recalled that after the 2023 elections, there were—as he put it—”persistent attempts” to push Morawiecki to the margins of the party, and poor poll numbers prompted JarosÅ‚aw KaczyÅ„ski to bet on PrzemysÅ‚aw Czarnek as a candidate for prime minister. When this strategy failed to boost support, Morawiecki developed the Rozwój Plus association as a counterweight to the rightward course. The initial consent to the functioning of the party’s “two wings” was—according to Terlecki—torpedoed by the Buttermakers faction, after which the leadership demanded MPs sign a declaration of non-involvement in the association. Those who refused were removed from PiS.
“Scouts” is a group gathered around Morawiecki—some of them, though not Morawiecki himself, have a background in the Polish Scouting Association, hence the name of the faction. “Buttermakers,” on the other hand, is the opposing camp, closer to KaczyÅ„ski, which includes Jacek Sasin, PrzemysÅ‚aw Czarnek, Patryk Jaki, and Tobiasz BocheÅ„ski, among others. The name originated from BocheÅ„ski’s indignation over being served German butter on a LOT Polish Airlines flight.
Background of the Dispute
The PiS leadership’s ultimatum expired on the night between Thursday and Friday (July 23/24). Soon after, KaczyÅ„ski confirmed in a Friday speech that “thirty-something” MPs had resigned from party membership, which is to be formally approved on Tuesday, July 27, by the PiS Political Committee. A total of about 40 MPs, a senator, and three MEPs—MichaÅ‚ Dworczyk, Piotr Müller, and Waldemar Buda—are associated with the Rozwój Plus association. On Monday, it was announced that Grzegorz Lorek, associated with Rozwój Plus, left Morawiecki’s association and signed the declaration required by the leadership.
Terlecki himself—a long-time Deputy Marshal of the Sejm and head of the PiS parliamentary club, associated with JarosÅ‚aw KaczyÅ„ski for two decades—found himself among the politicians who did not sign the declaration and were expelled from the party. In his text for “Kurier Krakowski,” he does not write about this outright, but in a Friday post on platform X, he was much more blunt than in the column, assessing that “the Buttermakers are leading PiS to disaster,” while JarosÅ‚aw KaczyÅ„ski nevertheless remains “the most outstanding politician of the 35-year period.” He also expressed his conviction that the day will come when the PiS leader will “chase away” the Buttermakers and together they will “go for victory.”
New Sejm Club and Calculations for the 2027 Elections
Terlecki predicts in the column that the politicians removed from PiS will establish their own parliamentary club, which more MPs may join, and perhaps a new party referring to the traditional PiS program will also be formed. “Perhaps a party will also be created, referring to the traditional program of PiS, but free from intrigues and quarrels (especially in the so-called field), paralyzing political activity,” he stated.
He added that such a formation would become a natural coalition partner for PiS after the 2027 elections, which—in his opinion—Kaczyński will bring about.
Terlecki ends his text with an appeal to accept the fact of the division and concentrate on “fighting the incompetent and harmful rule” of Donald Tusk, reminding that only a year and two months remain until the elections.