Finance minister says government needs 'new team'

Jacek Rostowski, Tuesday: photo - PAP/Bartłomiej Zborowski

With the ruling centre-right Civic Platform lagging behind in opinion polls, Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski has told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily that “I would like the reshuffle to be far-reaching".

“There should be a new team that will lead Civic Platform in the 2015 elections to parliament,” he said.

“It should show a programme not only for the last two years of this term, but also for the first half of the next one,” he said.

Asked whether he thought the ejection of three-quarters of the cabinet would not look like an admission of failure from Prime Minister Donald Tusk's standpoint, Rostowski disagreed.

“Not at all. Some ministers have been in office for six years. This is a great success, but a change is necessary. And this does not by any means diminish [the achievements of] a departing minister.”

Coalition talks are scheduled for Wednesday in which Prime Minister Donald Tusk will consult with deputy prime minister Janusz Piechocinski, who leads the junior coalition partner Polish Peasants Party (PSL).

However, Piechocinski has told Polish Radio that he does not foresee a reshuffle until January, after the adoption of next year's budget.

Following an opinion poll showing that he was the least popular minister in the government, Rostowski said that “not a year has gone by in these last six years, when I have not thought about departure, but I have lasted somehow.” (nh/pg)