A deputy leader of the Together party, a member of the Left coalition grouping, has said he will not join a government if it contains Roman Giertych, a former leader of a socially conservative party.

Giertych will run in October 15’s general election under the banner of the Civic Coalition (KO), the largest opposition grouping, which has often promoted itself as a liberal counter-balance to the socially conservative norms of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party.

The inclusion of Giertych on the KO list raised some political eyebrows given that he is a former leader of the conservative League of Polish Families (LPR) party, which was once in a coalition government with PiS.

He was also deputy prime minister and education minister in the Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Kazimierz Marcinkiwicz governments in the years 2006 and 2007.

“Giertych is a man whose views on many key issues completely differ from those of the Left,” Adrian Zandberg, who will run for the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, on the Left list in Warsaw, told a Radio Zet programme on Monday.

The Left coalition is comprised of The New Left, the Together party, the Polish Socialist Party and the Labour Union.

“I will not join a government with Roman Giertych,” said Zandberg, adding that if the Left wins a strong position in parliament, it would strive to ensure that the conservative politician would be kept out of government.

Civic Platform “has taken full responsibility for Giertych and his views,” he added.