Kopacz favourite to replace Tusk as Poland’s prime minister

After six years and ten months as leader of Poland, Donald Tusk prepares for life as president of the European Council.

Donald Tusk resigned as prime minister of Poland on Tuesday (9 September), clearing his desk of domestic issues in order to prepare to assume the presidency of the European Council on 1 December.

Poland’s president, Bronisław Komorowski, has until 25 September to nominate a successor, but Polish media report that
Komorowski has already scheduled a meeting for today (11 September) with the candidate put forward by the ruling coalition, Ewa Kopacz.

Under Poland’s constitution, the departure of a prime minister automatically triggers the collapse of the government. If nominated as prime minister, Kopacz would need to secure the support of the parliament, for herself and for her government. Kopacz had been tipped to become prime minister from the moment that the European Union’s national leaders elected Tusk to the European Council’s presidency on 30 August, and the smoothness of the succession talks within the governing coalition suggests that its slim three-seat majority will be enough to assure Kopacz’s confirmation.

Because Kopacz’s current position is outside government – she is the speaker of the lower house of parliament – there would be no automatic need for changes in the cabinet. However, Marek Sawicki, the agriculture minister, on Tuesday suggested that a “pretty
significant” reshuffle is on the cards – which would not, he suggested, affect his party, the Polish People’s Party (PSL), which currently holds the economy, labour and agriculture portfolios.

A starting point for a reshuffle among the 15 other members of the cabinet may be the portfolio for infrastructure and development, a brief which has been held by Elz˙bieta Bien΄kowska. She was last week named by Tusk as Poland’s nominee to the European Commission.

Kopacz served as health minister from 2007 to 2011, winning praise from some, including for her cautious handling of the swine-flu threat in 2009. However, she attracted criticism from others for her proposal for central registration and monitoring of pregnant women. The opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party also accuse her of having created a healthcare system for the rich.

A poll published in the newspaper Rzeczpospolita suggests that Kopacz faces wide scepticism: only 29% of those questioned expect her to be a good premier, and more than half, 53%, said she would not be. If approved, Kopacz would become the second woman to lead the country.

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