Kaczyński Reshuffles After Losing Dozens of MPs, Reaches Out to Patriotic Circles

Following a major political earthquake in Poland where former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki formed a separate parliamentary club, Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński is actively negotiating to build a broad patriotic coalition.

Political Earthquake on the Right

An earthquake on the Polish political scene has become a reality as former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki officially announced the formation of a separate parliamentary club named “Rozwój Plus”, gathering over 40 parliamentarians who were expelled from or left Law and Justice (PiS). In response, the leadership of PiS accuses the former head of government of lacking political instinct and announces the construction of a broad coalition with other patriotic environments.

New Alliances and Talks with Leaders

PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński is holding talks with leaders of various patriotic circles, party spokesperson Rafał Bochenek reported on Thursday, adding that agreements are expected to be presented in the coming months. Bochenek was asked on Polish Radio whether he fears that the formation of an association and separate parliamentary club by Morawiecki will cause a drop in ratings for the party.

Bochenek assessed that this initiative is harmful from the point of view of their political camp and thinks Morawiecki was aware of it. He added that the PiS leader is trying to do everything to lead to unity on the side of the patriots, noting that Jarosław Kaczyński talks with various leaders of different patriotic circles.

Assessing the Split and the Government

Asked if Kaczyński is talking with anyone beyond Marek Woch, leader of Nonpartisan Local Government Activists, Bochenek confirmed that talks are indeed underway and agreements will likely be presented in the coming months. According to Bochenek, every environment that wants to remove Donald Tusk’s government from power should be engaged in this project.

The PiS spokesperson stated that Morawiecki behaved without a sense of self-preservation by making a split, though fortunately, this split is much smaller than he likely planned. He described Kaczyński as a pragmatist, realist, and extremely experienced politician with political instinct who has won for many years.

The “Rozwój Plus” Club Formation

Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced on Wednesday the creation of a new parliamentary club consisting of parliamentarians associated with his “Rozwój Plus” association who believe they were pushed out of PiS. He added that 40 MPs and a senator decided to establish the club as a political forum for the association.

Rozwój Plus is visible in the register of clubs and groups on the Sejm website, with Morawiecki as chairman and Łukasz Schreiber as deputy. Forty-one people signed the founding resolution, with MP Piotr Uściński joining on Wednesday morning.

Disciplinary Procedures and Political Committee

Earlier on Tuesday, the PiS Political Committee approved a list of 44 people who failed to submit the required declaration within the deadline stating they do not belong to political associations, specifically the “Rozwój Plus” association, or submitted it in an improper form. The matter was directed to PiS party discipline spokesperson Karol Karski to handle each case individually and conclude the statutory procedure.

Morawiecki and his associates believe that the decision on their exclusion from PiS was made last week, evidenced by party leader Jarosław Kaczyński’s Friday remarks. The PiS head stated that everyone knew the consequences of failing to submit the declaration, around thirty-some MPs resigned from PiS membership, and the situation was essentially concluded pending formal procedures.