Rostowski to continue as finance minister till next spring?

Jacek Rostowski on Wednesday: photo - PAP/Jakub Kamiński

An “influential Civic Platform politician” told the Puls Biznesu daily that Rostowski, who is also deputy prime minister, wants to finish revisions to the 2013 budget and prepare the budget for next year.

He also wants to finalize changes to the pension fund system and put change rules on public spending, writes the newspaper.

A report last week by the Reuters agency said that “three sources independently” had told them that Finance Minister Rostowski would be one of the victims of a autumn reshuffle by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, alongside sports and environment ministers.

The prime minister dismissed the report as being based on “gossip” and would not comment on it.

The influential source told Puls Biznesu, however, that “rumours that the finance minister will be asked to resign are completely unfounded”.

ON Wednesday, Prime Minister Tusk told reporters that he has “not talked about resignation with the minister, as it is not something he would talk about causally.

“When I talk about the resignation of a minister, it becomes a reality the next day,” he added.

Tusk was speaking as parliament debated the forced changes to the 2013 budget, after the economy slowed more than expected this year.

On the finance ministry having to revise the budget for this year after poor first quarter growth data meant revenues were lower than expected, Tusk said the finance minister made the same mistake of overestimating activity in the eurozone as many others did.

“If I had to cut off the head of someone who did not hit their forecast for the first quarter, I would also have to do it to the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission, the European Central Bank and 56 other institutions who made exactly the same mistake,” Tusk said. (pg)