Poland: Poland's ruling conservatives yesterday warmed to the idea of a coalition government with the left-wing populist party Self-Defence after their efforts to trigger a snap election faltered.
The Law and Justice party believes fresh elections could usher in stable rule but its motion to dissolve parliament was criticised by most opposition parties and would fail to reach the necessary two-thirds majority to pass.
Asked what would happen if the motion to dissolve parliament was rejected, Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said: "A coalition with the Self-Defence; there is no other possibility." Prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz said he was in favour of an election but would not resign if the motion failed.
Law and Justice rules in a pact with Self-Defence and the nationalist League of Polish Families, a crisis-stricken, month-old alliance which envisages co-operation in parliament over key issues but stops short of a full coalition.
Self-Defence leader Andrzej Lepper said he would allow the budget deficit to rise and weaken the zloty once in power. "We don't have to hurry into the euro zone," he said. - (Reuters)