Paweł Supernak/PAP
Mateusz Morawiecki, the acting Polish prime minister, has unveiled a string of social policy proposals to be implemented by the next government.
The ruling socially-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) won the October 15 election but lost its parliamentary majority, thereby opening the door to three main opposition groupings to form a coalition government led by Donald Tusk, the leader of Civic Coalition, the biggest of the three parties.
But Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, has asked Morawiecki to form a new government although his chances of doing this are slim given that all the other parties have ruled out working with PiS.
However, at a press conference at the Warsaw Stock Exchange on Friday, Morawiecki presented a ‘Decalogue of Polish Issues,’ which consists of a number of proposals to be implemented by the government he hopes to form.
The plan covers measures to ensure stability for small and medium-sized companies, the development of energy security, higher wages and the economic transformation of Poland.
“Since Poles have voted for different parties, we have taken the most valuable elements from different programmes to build a ‘Decalogue of Polish Issues,’ programme pillars for the next four years, which can change the life of Poles in a very positive way, despite the big crises that still surround us,” said the prime minister.
The first pillar of the ‘decalogue’ is to ensure the stability of small and medium-sized companies, Morawiecki said. It includes a moratorium on Social Security payments and support packages for companies hit by the global crisis.
The prime minister also referred to the two bills that PiS has sent to the Sejm, the lower house of Polish parliament, namely the extension of a mortgage moratorium programme, and zero VAT on some food products.
He stressed that the PiS proposals were consistent with the programmes of the other groupings, such as the Polish People’s Party, Poland 2050, the far-right Confederation party and the left-wing New Left party.
The second pillar, Morawiecki said, is “the ambitious development of Poland and energy security.” It includes the construction of the Central Transportation Hub (CPK), the development of container ports and the entire road network.
Under the new government, wages will be expected to increase an average of PLN 10,000 (EUR 2,290) gross per month until the end of the upcoming term.
The final programme proposals involve laws on equal pay for men and women, and raising the tax-free amount.