Tusk’s government will be better than PiS’s, say Poles

Almost half of Poles believe newly-appointed Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government will be better than the Law and Justice (PiS) government that has ruled in Poland for the last eight years, according to a poll conducted by SW Research pollster for Rzeczpospolita.

According to the poll results, about 42.3% of respondents believe Tusk’s government to be better than the PiS government. Additionally, 15.3% think Tusk’s government would be no better or worse, 25% said it would be worse, and 17.4% did not have a clear opinion.

Of those who preferred Tusk’s government, 46% were over 50, and 51% had a university education.

Tusk was appointed new prime minister on 12 December, and his wide coalition government was approved, consisting of his Civic Coalition (KO, EPP/S&D), centrist Third Way bloc (Renew/EPP) and the Left (S&D, Left).

PiS’ government was perceived in Brussels as the ally of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, Spain’s Vox, and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni. With Vox and Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia, PiS shares the same group in the European Parliament, the European Conservatives and Reformists.

Morawiecki’s cabinet, as well as his predecessor, now PiS MEP Beata Szydło, regularly engaged in conflicts with the EU Commission over the rule of law in Poland, as the Commission found many of PiS’ reforms undermined judicial independence, media freedom and fundamental rights.

Tusk’s government pledged to reverse the most controversial changes by PiS, announcing Poland’s “return to Europe.” He was warmly welcomed by other EU leaders at the European Council last week, many of whom remember him as the Council President, the position he held between 2014 and 2019.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl)