Kwaśniewski: Duda ‘could lead’ Law and Justice
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
17.02.2015 12:56
Poland’s former president, Aleksander Kwaśniewski has said that presidential hopeful Andrzej Duda from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) could potentially take over the party’s reigns from Jarosław Kaczyński.
Law and Justice presidential hopeful Andrzej Duda gives a press conference at the Sejm lower parliamentary house on 16.02.2015 Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
“Maybe Kaczyński will be sharpening his ambitions,” Kwaśniewski told public broadcaster TVP 2 on Monday evening.
According to Kwaśniewski, Duda “can take his own approach and break though” the PiS campaign as he does not have to “feel as if he is connected” to many of the party’s recent failures.
“Support for Duda is defined by support for PiS, […] so at around 30 percent,” the former president said.
‘Historic’ year for Polish politics
Kwaśniewski also said that Poland is at “an historic moment” due to the fact two elections – parliamentary and presidential – will be taking place this year, and that no party leaders are gunning for the presidential seat.
“This is a positive move, some new figures will appear on the political scene,” Kwaśniewski said, suggesting that “[The Democratic Left Alliance candidate] Ms Ogórek has a chance to become a leader in the next 5-10 years and Andrzej Duda is knocking on the doors within PiS”.
“Poland is maturing [and seeing] a generational change in the political parties,” Kwaśniewski underlined.
However, the fact that no party leaders are running for president “shows a change in the concept of the presidential post […] which started five years ago with the candidacy of Komorowski, who was not a leader in the [Civic Platform] party.” (jb)