Will Poland’s parliament ratify EU fiscal pact?

Jaroslaw Kaczynski in parliament, Friday: photo - PAP/Andrzej Hrechorowicz

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that if constitutional lawyers allow, then the vote to ratify the anti-finance crisis fiscal pact could be passed by a “small ratification”, or, a simple majority of MPs.

But Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Law and Justice (PiS), the largest opposition party in parliament, said Friday that for such a significant piece of legislation such as the EU fiscal pact – which enhances the powers of the European Commission over national budgets and finances - Article 90 of the Polish Constitution states that two-thirds of MPs in the lower house of parliament must vote for it.

Kaczynski warned that he believes that the fiscal pact “is completely to the detriment of the Polish state” and vows to vote it down in parliament.

As Prime Minister Tusk’s Civic Platform-led coalition would need Law and Justice to vote for the pact - if the votes of two-thirds of the lower house were needed for the legislation to pass – then there is “no chance” that the fiscal pact will gain the necessary votes, said the euro-sceptic former PM, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Prime Minister Tusk said, however, that the signing of the pact by 25 members of the 27 nation bloc – the Czech Republic and UK refused to sign up to the deal – was accompanied by “optimism and determination of all participants”.

He added, though, that the effects of the intergovernmental agreement will not be applicable to Poland as it is not yet a eurozone member, and that “Poland already meets the conditions of the fiscal pact”.

But the prime minister was also aware of the potential difficulties of getting the pact ratified in Poland’s parliament.

“Put simply, without Law and Justice, this will not be possible,” he said, particularly if it will need the support of two-thirds of MPs.

"We will not hurry [to ratify the pact] but we'll do it as quickly as possible,” said PM Tusk. (pg)