Poland’s former Minister of National Defense, Radosław Sikorski, in the Law and Justice government has switched parties and will stand as Civic Platform’s candidate in the approaching elections on October 21.

Announcing his decision during a press conference midday Wednesday, he expressed a “Deep disappointment with [Prime Minister] Jarosław Kaczyński”, as one of the main reasons for switiching over to the opposition.

Rumours concerning Sikorski’s possible alliance with Civic Platform (PO) have been spread in the media for quite some time.

The Polish Peasants’ Party was also thought to be interested in Sikorski.

Sikorski said he was in two minds about which chamber of the parliament to run for – the Lower House or the Senate.

The former minister is an extremely popular figure in Poland.
After his dismissal as defense minister earlier this year by the Law and Justice government – who accused him of acting as a foreign minister and not keeping to his defense portfolio - the opinion pollster Pentor found he had a 16% approval rating, second only at that time to President Lech Kaczyński as the most popular politician in Poland.

In the last elections Sikorski stood as a Law and Justice candidate.

From October 2005 to February 2007he was Minister of National Defense. (photo: wiki)