Opposition party motions for vote of no confidence against gov't

PO named party chief Grzegorz Schetyna as its candidate for the post of prime minister.

Justifying the party’s motion, the head of the PO parliamentary caucus, Sławomir Neumann, has said that “for the past 17 months the government has been dismantling Polish democracy and the rule of law … attacking local government bodies and the independent judiciary, and in recent days and weeks has been bringing shame on Poland on the international scene”.

Neumann added that he and his party colleagues are aware of the fact that the motion stands no chance for success, adding that a parliamentary debate on the issue will be an opportunity to discuss pressing problems.

Senior officials from the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party have said they are “not afraid” of discussing the merits of the current Cabinet.

“PiS is not afraid of a discussion about the achievements of the government,” said Ryszard Terlecki, head of the PiS parliamentary caucus.

He added: “We know what our government has done over the last year and a half, certainly more than the government of the Civic Platform and the Polish People’s Party over eight years.”

Meanwhile, PiS spokeswoman Beata Mazurek said that her party will “remind Poles about what the state looked like under the PO-PSL coalition.”

PO ruled in a coalition with the Polish People’s Party (PSL) for eight years between 2007 and 2015.

A spokesman for opposition party Kukiz 15 has described Civic Platform’s motion as a "PR gimmick".

The opposition would have to muster 231 votes in the 460-seat lower house to oust the government. The ruling Law and Justice alone has 234 seats. (mk/rg)