Facing unprecedented EU legal action over the alleged politicisation of Poland's judiciary, the Law and Justice (PiS) party may want to defuse tensions in other areas such as environment policy and defence, analysts say.
The changes also came with the EU about to embark on negotiations on a new seven-year budget that will decide which member states get what out of the bloc's coffers - with Poland currently the biggest net recipient.
President Andrzej Duda, acting on recommendations of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, dismissed Environment Minister Jan Szyszko, who has spearheaded far-reaching logging in an ancient forest that prompted action by the European Court of Justice.
Also losing their job were Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz, a former anti-communist crusader facing criticism over delays in modernising the army as well as conflicts with top generals, as well as Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, seen in Brussels as an ineffective diplomat.
The reshuffle removed ministers seen from the EU perspective as combative or ill-informed. It followed the appointment of former bank CEO and finance minister Morawiecki as prime minister, replacing Beata Szydlo, last month at the midpoint of the parliamentary term. PiS faces local elections in late 2018 and legislative and presidential ballots in 2019 and 2020.
"The new (government) should help us build a sovereign Poland within a strong Europe, a Europe of homelands," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said after the new appointments were announced.
No comments:
Post a Comment