The Polish parliament passed a motion of no confidence on Monday against Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Of the 456 MPs who voted, only 190 backed the premier.
The no-confidence vote comes after Morawiecki’s right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party lost a general election in mid-October. A broad coalition of pro-EU parties, led by former Polish Prime Minister and ex-European Council President Donald Tusk, claimed a parliamentary majority in the vote.
PiS has already conceded defeat, with party president Jaroslaw Kaczynski blaming the outcome of the no-confidence vote on a broader ‘smear campaign’ against the group.
“The prime minister achieved great successes for our government,” Kaczynski asserted after the vote. “I think there was a social misunderstanding, but that’s democracy. We accept it, but we will fight. The campaign against PiS has convinced a significant part of our society that the imaginary reality is real.”
He also hinted at external meddling in Morawiecki’s downfall, stating that his “dream” was for Polish politicians not to act “for the benefit of foreign countries.”
The Polish parliament is set to select Morawiecki’s replacement later on Monday, Speaker Szymon Holownia has announced, adding that the cabinet is expected to be formed on Tuesday.
So far, no list of candidates for the post has been announced, with Holownia suggesting it may include only one person.
Tusk is widely expected to return as prime minister, a post he held between 2007 and 2014. He became head of the EU Council shortly after his tenure ended and remained in that position until 2019. He was succeeded by the current head of the bloc’s executive body, Charles Michel.