Premier tries to win support for new government

POLAND: Poland's new prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz yesterday attempted to reinforce his minority government by seeking the support of his strongest opponents on key issues.

The prime minister said that he had sent a letter to Donald Tusk, leader of Civic Platform (PO), seeking written agreement on the 2006 budget and other major policies in a move to allay fears that his government might be unwilling or unable to push through vital economic reforms.

"This contract would be binding for both sides - for the government to present appropriate laws at an appropriate time and for Civic Platform . . . to vote for the budget and other laws," Mr Marcinkiewicz said.

Last week, the new prime minister's Law and Justice party (PiS) abandoned coalition talks with the PO after a disagreement over the allocation of key ministries and instead tried to woo Self-Defence, a left-wing, populist group.

But the financial markets reacted badly to the loss of the reform-minded PO and the rise of Self-Defence, which is suspicious of the European Union and the euro and wants an increase in welfare spending and farm subsidies.

Most analysts, in contrast, advocate an urgent reduction in state spending and greater job-flexibility to help reduce Poland's 18 per cent unemployment.

Mr Tusk showed little appetite for compromise with the PiS yesterday and may oppose the government in a parliamentary confidence vote next week. "Civic Platform is going to work more effectively than any opposition has until now," he said, vowing to be "very hard" in his dealings with the PiS, whose election campaign played heavily to traditional conservative, Catholic values.

In contrast, Andrzej Lepper, the leader of Self-Defence, said that he would probably back the PiS-led government, but only if it steered clear of making the kind of changes which most economists say are essential.

"Law and Justice has a good programme and we will watch closely how it will implement it," Mr Lepper said. "If it abandons it or moves towards economic liberalism, it can be assured that this support will end very quickly."

Meanwhile, the new interior minister, Ludwik Dorn, promised yesterday to purge the police force of communist-era security agents, a move echoing Mr Marcinkiewicz's decision on Tuesday to disband the military intelligence service. Poland's Socialists, who were routed in last month's general and presidential elections, have long warned that a PiS government would crack down on the left.