Leader of the Polish Peasants Party (PSL), Waldemar Pawlak, has vowed to build a coalition with the winner of last month’s election in Poland, Civic Platform, which would be characterized by consensus building and cooperation between parties. On Sunday, Pawlak took part in the traditional All Souls’ Day celebrations in the village of Wierzchosławice - the birthplace of Wincenty Witos, cofounder and leader of the peasant movement in Poland.
In Wierzchosławice Pawlak reminded that the peasants’ movement in Poland had always followed the policy of dialogue and compromise. He also said that the new PO-PSL coalition would continue that tradition.
Pawlak has been offered the post of Vice Prime Minister in the new government and will also hold the post of Minister of Economy.
When asked about policy details, the PSL chairman did not rule out that the new government would abolish the so-called Marek Belka’s tax - a tax on capital gains has not been beneficial enough as the bureaucracy involved in its collection involved unnecessary costs.
The PSL chairman also pointed to the fact that the majority of savings had already been taxed.
Waldemar Pawlak said on Sunday that the absence of the president during the opening session of the new parliament would be a new element of the parliamentary tradition in Poland, but at the same time he made a reservation that the president’s appearance before MPs at the opening meeting of the new parliament was not compulsory.