Poland’s opposition parties open talks on a ruling coalition after winning the general election

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A coalition of three opposition parties who won Poland’s general election against the right-wing party that controlled the country for eight years opened talks Wednesday on forming a new government, one of the party leaders said.

Third Way co-leader Szymon Holownia also urged President President Andrzej Duda to move swiftly in giving the bloc an opportunity to rule. The three groups — also including the Civic Coalition of Donald Tusk, the former prime minister and former European Council president — collectively gained about 54% of the vote,

“Today the president has a chance to present himself as a true statesman who really has Poland’s best interests in his heart,” Holownia said.

Duda is a former member and ally of the ruling right-wing Law and Justice Party, which lost its majority but nonetheless won more votes than any other party. Traditionally, the president gives the first opportunity to form a government to the top vote-getter. Law and Justice intends to try to build a majority, but that is generally seen as impossible given the new alignment of parliament.

Duda has not indicated what he will do. Under the constitution, he is supposed to assess the political alignment in parliament, appoint a new prime minister and task that person with forming a government that will need parliament’s approval.

The president met Tuesday with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of Law and Justice for more than one hour, a meeting that Holownia described as “politically insignificant” and a “waste of time.”

The opposition bloc has vowed to reverse Law and Justice policies that have left the country isolated internationally and divided at home.

It hopes to unlock the billions of euros (dollars) in funding that the EU has withheld from Warsaw over the ruling party’s changes to the judiciary which weakened the independence of the judicial branch of government.

But the parties within the bloc — made up of Civic Coalition, the Third Way and the Left — span a broad ideological spectrum, and their programs differ on some key issues, including on abortion.

Holownia said that opposition party leaders have opened “good” talks on terms for building their government, which should produce a result next week. He said it is urgent to have a stable government because of the “geopolitical situation,” a reference to Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine.

“We have no time, Poland has no time,” Holownia said, adding that he hopes Duda will not be unnecessarily stretch out the transition. The steps in the transition are set out in the constitution in a timeframe that runs until mid-December, but the timeline can be shortened.