Polish Coalition Dispute on Virus Stokes Talk of Early Ballot

(Bloomberg) --

Poland’s ruling coalition is at risk of collapse over a contested proposal to grant limited immunity to officials who break the law while fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

Joachim Brudzinski, a deputy chief of the ruling Law & Justice party, said on Saturday that there’s a 50% chance that its coalition with two smaller partners will fall apart, which would lead to a minority government and ultimately to an early parliamentary election.

“Today, it’s 50-50,” Brudzinski told Radio RMF FM. “If there’s reflection, some responsibility and a matching of appetites to abilities by our partners, then the coalition will last.” Otherwise, “there will be a minority government and, in our circumstances, an earlier election.”

One of the smaller parties said this week that it wouldn’t back a bill, which is currently in limbo, to grant immunity to public officials who broke the law while “acting in the public interest” to battle the virus. Law & Justice also suspended coalition talks over posts and policy for a looming cabinet reshuffle.

The stakes are high as a local a court ruled this week that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki “blatantly” broke the law during preparations for a presidential election that was due to be held in May, during the height of the pandemic, but was moved to July. The health minister and a deputy resigned last month following reports of graft during the procurement of medical supplies; both deny any wrongdoing.

Financial markets have so far ignored the political spat, amid expectations that the coalition -- which calls itself the United Right -- will iron out differences and not risk a ballot that would otherwise be due in 2023.

“We should do everything to ensure that the government of the United Right will continue until the end of this term and humbly try to win another,” Brudzinski said. “Poles are able to forgive us very much, but not if we lose power like this.”

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