Poland's internal political gyrations have recently attracted more and more attention around Europe because they spill into the European Union. The three party coalition led by prime minister Jaroslav Kaczynski has been in power since late 2005.
Its combination of illiberal populism, strong defence of national sovereignty and Catholic fundamentalism represents a radical break with previous Polish governments formed since 1988 and is quite at odds with values enshrined in European integration.
But any hopes that it might lose power after fresh elections arising from Monday's dismissal of deputy prime minister Andrzej Lepper from the coalition over corruption charges have since been dispelled by his party's decision to stay in the coalition. All the indications are that the coalition will hold together if possible, since it would almost certainly not win fresh elections.
These are not likely until 2009. Continuing rows over this corruption allegation against Mr Lepper will simmer following reports that he was the victim of a sting operation from the prime minister's office and a failure to provide proof that he is guilty. The affair illustrates the vicious factionalism that has been a notable feature of this coalition.
It has been a turbulent and controversial year in Poland's domestic politics, especially over the government's "lustration" policy of pursuing a much wider group of people suspected of having co-operated with the secret police during the previous communist regime. Mr Kaczynski and his twin brother, President Lech Kaczynski, are convinced that Poland's post-1988 transition was compromised by tacit or explicit agreement between anti and post-communist elites not to delve too deeply into collaboration so as to facilitate their carve-up of power in the 1990s.
They are determined to forge a new political bloc from such policies and have had some success in throwing the liberal and centre left on to the defensive under uncertain and weak leaderships.
Poland's determination to assert its national interests within the EU over relations with Russia and its weighting of votes in the institutional reform treaty negotiations has put it at odds with its new partners. In particular Mr Kaczynski's coalition has unscrupulously drawn on anti-German feeling as a tactic in domestic politics, paying little attention to the international damage caused. He has courted President Bush's support by backing the proposed US anti-missile base to be located in Poland.
This awkwardness and tension seems set to continue for at least another two years.