Tusk to Gowin – 'Misbehave again and you are out'

Jaroslaw Gowin (standing, centre) in parliament, Wednesday: photo - PAP/Jakub Kamiński

"If you ever step over the line, and I think that in the last few days you have, then you will definitely have to say goodbye to Civic Platform,” the PAP news agency reports Prime Minister Donald Tusk as saying at a meeting of the party's national board on wednesday after Jaroslaw Gown lost party elections last week to lead Poland's ruling centre-right party.

Members of the national broad of Civic Platform met to discuss disciplinary action against Gowin, who was sacked as justice minister from the coalition government in May after he repeatedly criticised Donald Tusk and the government's stance on social and finance issues.

A move to expel Gowin - the most prominent conservative politician in the christian-democrat Civic Platform – from the party was led at the meeting by head of the Lodz branch Andrzej Biernat.

Gowin and two other MPs – one of which, John Godson announced he was leaving Civic Platform this week – also abstained on a crucial vote in parliament called by the Finance Ministry to raise Poland's debt levels in response to deeper than previously predicted economic slowdown in Poland.

“If you ever violate the standards of being in Civic Platform, whether it be today, tomorrow or next week, then you will say goodbye to Civic Platform,” Tusk reportedly said at the meeting.

Another of the MPs who abstained on the finance vote in parliament, Jacek Zalek, told reporters in the parliament building on Wednesday that threats of expulsion “is not a situation where you can build trust” within the party” and called for “dialogue” between the different factions of Civic Platform. (pg)