Posted on 07/10/2006 1:01:12 PM PDT by lizol
Poland's ruling twins consolidate power
By Tomasz Janowski
WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish conservative President Lech Kaczynski appointed his identical twin brother, Jaroslaw, as prime minister on Monday, cementing their grip on power and reinforcing concerns about Poland's tilt toward nationalism.
In a surprise decision on Friday, Jaroslaw, leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, decided to replace popular Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz after clashing with him over appointments to state posts.
The move, which requires a vote of confidence in parliament, will make the veterans of the anti-communist Solidarity movement the world's only twins to hold top executive posts.
Jaroslaw, who has never held a government post and lacks Marcinkiewicz's economic expertise, reiterated on Monday that he would continue policies set by the previous government.
"I would like to state clearly that the mission started by Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz and his government would be continued," Jaroslaw Kaczynski said during a ceremony at which his brother appointed him as prime minister.
"Poland needs actions to clearly improve the quality of public and social life and the Polish economy," he said.
His potential rise to power sent a shockwave through the financial markets on Friday, but the zloty and stocks rebounded on Monday, supported by strong economic growth in the biggest ex-communist European Union member and Kaczynski's assurances he would stick to prudent fiscal policies.
His choice of Stanislaw Kluza, a former commercial bank economist, as his finance minister also helped calm markets.
"The worst seems to be over for the zloty," said Juliet Sampson, economist at HSBC bank.
A snap poll by Gazeta Wyborcza daily showed more than 60 percent of Poles were concerned about handing full executive power to the brothers, whose Law and Justice party narrowly won elections last year in which they promised to curb corruption.
More than 80 percent believed Marcinkiewicz was a good prime minister while just 21 percent expected Kaczynski to do a good job as his replacement.
TACTICAL MOVE
Save for Kluza, few changes in the cabinet are expected as Kaczynski has insisted the shake-up was a tactical move ahead of local elections in November.
Critics say the brothers' inexperience in foreign or economic policy, their combative style and nationalist rhetoric bode ill for Poland's fragile relations with the outside world.
"The Kaczynskis' political thinking is confined to Poland's borders. They show little interest in the outside world, they don't know it well and probably don't like it much," said Jacek Zakowski, commentator at the left-leaning Polityka weekly.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski reinforced the concerns, saying in a newspaper interview he was less interested in economic issues than Marcinkiewicz while reiterating his mistrust of free-market policies and belief in keeping state firms in "Polish hands."
He also reiterated his conviction that Poland must take a firm course in dealings with EU partners, saying otherwise it would not be respected.
Warsaw's relations with Brussels and main EU partners have cooled after Kaczynski clinched a coalition deal two months ago with anti-Western, far-right nationalists and fringe leftists.
To be fair, that's what many of our liberal commentators said about President Bush.
I remember when people were unhappy with Bobby Kennedy's appointment as Attorney General by JFK. I understand that the law now would not permit such nepotism.
What does this mean for Poland? What caused the breakup? Will the right wing coalition falling apart?
Couldn't one of them just grow a moustache or something?
Can't say as I blame them all that much anyway. A country should look out for its own interests first and foremost - nothing wrong with that. A country should be mindful of other countries in-so-far as those other countries pose a potential threat or a potential gain to that country.
Which twin is the evil and which the good?
This is not nepotism. Lech Kaczynski (the President) was elected to his office. Jaroslaw Kaczynski (his twin brother, now to be prime minister) is a leader of the largest party in the Parliament and as such is untitled to be nominated.
President Kaczynski (Lech) has little wart on his left cheek close to his nose :)
"Will the right wing coalition falling apart?"
They are national-socialists.
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