Civic Platform puts forward Donald Tusk as candidate for prime minister

"The National Board has authorized prime minister Donald Tusk to hold coalition talks with Third Way and New Left. At the same time, of course, confirming that the Civic Platform's (PO) candidate for the office of prime minister of the Republic of Poland is Donald Tusk," Civic Coalition (KO) chief Borys Budka said on Thursday.

"I'm certain this is the best candidate," he added.

"I'm also certain that these talks, just like they've been so far, will be very effective, but first and foremost, that soon enough we will hear a joint decision of coalition partners that a new government is formed, as soon as the president entrusts a candidate for prime minister with this mission," Budka said.

He also informed that no other candidates have been discussed so far. "We'll leave that to chairman Tusk. He will speak with our future coalition partners, so there will be joint decisions."

The KO chief also announced that Tusk would visit Brussels next week. "He will meet with leaders of European states. It's only natural that, from the very first day, we've been doing everything so that Poland's international standing returns to its rightful place it had eight years ago," he said.

"As a former prime minister and former head of the European Council, Donald Tusk the most experienced Polish politician. Luckily, he is someone who guarantees that vary good relations with the European Union, our partners, will be restored. Hence the talks he will hold with leaders next week on the sidelines of the European summit," Budka noted.

The Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski, a PO deputy chief, told reporters ahead of the board meeting on Thursday that the talks were to primarily focus on what each of the board members planned to do in the coming weeks. "We have our 100 concrete goals (which KO would like to implement in its first 100 days in office - edit.) - he said.

Asked if KO can manage to achieve said goals together with Third Way and New Left as coalition partners, Trzaskowski replied: "It will be okay, as we've all known for months we would be governing together".

To a remark that PSL (Polish People's Party) had a different view on issues like the abortion law, Warsaw mayor said that KO's and New Left's standpoint on the matter was clear. "We also know that Kosiniak-Kamysz (PSL chief Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz) and Hołownia (Poland 2050 chief Szymon Hołownia) said it would be decided by individual MPs. That's why so many times I encouraged to vote for Civic Coalition. I hope we will have a majority to pass a new law on abortion because this what he had on our (campaign - edit.) banners" - Trzaskowski adde.

On Tuesday (Oct. 17), the National Electoral Commission (PKW) announced the official results of the 2023 parliamentary election.

In the election to the lower house of parliament - the Sejm - Law and Justice won 35.38% of votes, Civic Coalition - 30.70%, Third Way - 14.40%, New Left - 8.61%, and Confederation - 7.16%.

The abovementioned results translate into the following number of seats in the Sejm: Law and Justice - 194, Civic Coalition - 157, Third Way - 65, New Left - 26, Confederation - 18.

If the three democratic opposition groupings - Civic Coalition, Third Way, and New Left - manage to form a ruling coalition, they can take a combined parliamentary majority of 248 seats in the Sejm.