Even though the ruling Civic Platform maintains a lead in the poll, after three years in power critics say that the party has only managed to successfully push through one social reform, in the education sector.
According to critics, over the past three years the government has been sluggish in both economic and social reform, although has managed to make up for past governments’ policies.
According to the daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Donald Tusk’s government is akin to the Democratic Left Alliance – Polish Peasants’ Party coalition government of 1993-1997: it does as little as possible, and in such a way as to not lose popularity in the polls.
Critics in the daily write that Donald Tusk’s government is both the strongest and weakest in the past 20 years. On one hand, it holds a strong lead in the polls, yet it holds a fear that it will lose popularity, holding back from undertaking any reform which may fuel a loss in popular opinion.
According to the daily, the test for the government will not be next year’s general election, but the Euro 2012 football championships, the organisation of which will show the strengths and weaknesses of Donald Tusk’s government.
Political scientist Professor Kazimerz Kik told Polish Radio that even though the Civic Platform has not fulfilled all its election promises, he positively evaluates Donald Tusk’s government, stating that it is not possible to assess what the government has done without comparing it to the previous incumbents, Law and Justice.
“This government came after 2 years of Law and Justice led governments, a government marked by domestic conflicts," he says. "In comparison, this government fares much better, and has brought stablility, as well as marking the return of Poland to its rightful place in Europe. It is a effort to try and reconcile good relations with our neighbours, which is important also for the economy. Whether they have delivered on their election promises, though, that is another matter.”
Meanwhile, MEP from the opposition Law and Justice, Jacek Kurski believes that the government of Donald Tusk has worsened the lives of Poles.
Talking to Polish Radio Tuesday morning, Kurski slammed the government for increasing public debt, raising taxes and food prices, as well as selling off state assets in privatisation deals.
“If the government continues like this, we will end up being totally skint,” Kurski said, adding that the government does not have any knowledge as to how average Poles live.
“The tales of Poland being the next emerald isle drives me mad. I drive a lot around Poland, I see what is going on, it is not an emerald isle at all, it is like the village of Drzewica, where 18 people get into an 7-seater minivan to travel 50 km to earn 50 zloty, and then tragically die in the process,” Kurski said, referring to the fatal minivan crash in the central Lodz province in October.
According to MEP Jacek Kurski, the government is merely trying to divert attention away from its incompetency, saying that the party’s result in next year’s general election will not allow it to form a majority, and as such is trying to create an “add-on” comprised of Law and Justice politicians who have left the party recently, such as Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska or Pawel Poncyljusz. (jb)