Warsaw Voice - PiS Prepares for Power

2 December 2009

The opposition Law and Justice party (PiS) has set up a special task force to map out the party's strategy for returning to government. The group is also expected to draft a strategy for the country's development once PiS is back in power.

The task force is divided into eight groups, each headed by a prominent politician, among them those who were government ministers when PiS was in power 2005-2007, party leader Jarosław Kaczyński told reporters Nov. 21.

Aleksandra Natalli-Świat, a former deputy finance minister, is responsible for part of the strategy dealing with finances, Kaczyński said. Grażyna Gęsicka, former regional development minister, is in charge of a group focusing on the economy; Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, former minister of labor and social policy, will deal with social affairs and the party's strategy for the healthcare system; Krzysztof Jurgiel, former agriculture minister, will deal with agriculture and environmental protection; MP Ryszard Terlecki is responsible for issues related to education, culture and science; Zbigniew Ziobro, former justice minister, is responsible for the party's policy vis-a-vis the justice system and security services; Przemysław Gosiewski, former head of PiS's parliamentary group, will deal with legislative amendments and issues related to the constitution; and Ryszard Legutko, EU deputy and former education minister, is responsible for the party's foreign policy ideas.

"We want to be the first party that will be 100-percent ready to take over power in the country after the elections. Our drawers will be full, really full, unlike in the case of all those who have governed so far, which means we will have plenty of draft laws or at least concrete guidelines for them," Kaczyński said.

He added that the task force is expected to bring together people qualified to work as ministers, deputy ministers and province governors in the future.

Kaczyński did not disclose the names of independent experts who will work for the task force. He said some of the experts did not wish to be identified. Besides it is too early to do so, he said, because the task force is still being organized.