President Lech Kaczynski will have an informal meeting with five of the former finance ministers to discuss the country’s economic situation.

It is scheduled for 8.00 pm. It is to be attended by representatives of various political leanings and economic philosophies and include  Zofia Gilowska, who served as minister in the Law and Justice-led government of Jaroslaw Kaczynski and leftist-oriented Marek Borowski and Grzegorz Kolodko.

Observers note that Leszek Balcerowicz, the architect of Poland’s free market reforms at the start of the 1990s, often describe as ‘shock therapy reforms’, is not among those taking part.

Head of the Presidential Chancellery, Piotr Kownacki, told the media that the idea is to have an open forum to exchange views on financial matters.

In a parliamentary address a week ago, President Kaczynski criticized the government’s handling of the economic crisis, claiming that the seriousness of the situation is underestimated by the “people and institutions responsible for the country’s economic growth.” (mk/mmj)