Economic superresort and combining departments. Reconstruction of Tusk's government is getting closer

On Friday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk is to meet with the leaders of coalition groups and present them with proposals for the reconstruction of the government. There are talk of several concepts of merging ministries in the lobby, including science and digitization, education and sport, as well as about creating economic superresort.

On Monday, the Prime Minister stated that around July 15 he would propose the shape of the government after reconstruction. On Friday, however, the group leaders are to be a meeting. Speaker of the Sejm, Polish leader 2050 Szymon Hołownia, informing about this meeting, expressed the hope that the prime minister would show “some concrete”.

One of the coalition politicians admitted that at least several government reconstruction scenarios circulate in the parliamentary corridors. “I think it's just rumors and that these conversations will only start only tomorrow,” said the interlocutor PAP.

According to him, we are talking about, among others on the combination of education and science departments. The second version, more likely, according to the PAP interlocutor, talks about a combination of science and digitization ministries, which would mean that The left would lose one minister. The Ministry of Science is managed today by Marcin Kulasek from the left, and digitization – Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, also from the left.

The emerging scenario is also the combination of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage with the Ministry of Sport. This was the case in 2020-2021 under the leadership of Piotr Gliński. According to another source, the Ministry of Culture will remain unchanged.

There is also talk of another option – MEN plus the Ministry of Sport. According to one of the PAP interlocutors, Sławomir Nitras (KO), currently the head of the sports ministry, is to lose the position of the minister.

In the lobby you also hear about creating an economic superresort. There are also several versions here – the minimum version that it will be Combined Ministry of Development and Technology with the Ministry of Industry. In the second version, in addition to these two ministries, the Ministry of Finance would also include the superminister. There is also the concept of incorporating part or all competences of the Ministry of State Asset in the superresort, although – according to another scenario – superresort would only create MRIT and MAPs.

Currently, Krzysztof Paszyk (PSL) is responsible for the Ministry of Development. According to the sources of PAP, after creating a superministerism, he could lose the function of a minister.

The left postulates the creation of a separate ministry of housing – today the construction department is in the development department.

Connecting ministries would also mean a smaller number of deputy ministers. One of the deputy ministers told PAP that he was calm about his function, regardless of the ministry in which his current competences will be concluded. At the same time, he estimated that there should be one energy ministry, because today these tasks are scattered from different departments.

The liquidation of proxies in the rank of ministers and the incorporation of them as secretaries or Undersecretaries of State to ministries or leaving them in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister is also involved. There is also a concept of combining competences, e.g. a representative for equal treatment and civil society – this was the case during the rule of the United Right.

The Minister for Equality Katarzyna Kotula (Left) emphasized in an interview with PAP that it is not possible to eliminate the proxy for equal treatment, because this issue is regulated by EU regulations. “This is an office that exists in every EU state – at the level of whether a separate department, or a separate department or the function of the coordinator,” she noted. She added that this position in this or another form has existed since 2001, and whether the proxy for equal treatment will be in the government or not, it is a secondary matter. “The most important thing is that someone will carry out these tasks,” she said. According to EU directives, equality bodies must exist in all Member States.

Kotula also noticed that her competence also includes tasks related to counteracting domestic violence – she is the national coordinator of the implementation of the government's program of counteracting domestic violence.

Referring to the reconstruction of the government, one of the coalition politicians stated that “Certainly, all coalition partners will have less than they have.”

Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Ministry of National Defense and President of PSL Władysław Kosiniak -Kamysz assured on Wednesday that the reconstruction was the least about personal details, and the most about structure and efficiency – above all the combination of sectors in one place. Used to apply the energy area. As he said, one ministry deals with energy companies, and the management of the associated critical infrastructure – the other. “I would accumulate energy in one so that it was effectively used,” he said. He added that this situation applies to many other areas.

Kosiniak-Kamysz expressed several times the belief that all coalition leaders should be in the government, which would improve communication and “taking responsibility”. He also stated that being a deputy prime minister without a minister's portfolio would be “going to the easy way”.

Polish leader 2050 Szymon Hołownia repeated on Wednesday that he does not intend to enter the government, although he is able to change his mind in a situation where all four coalition leaders are in the government. “If such a proposal would be, of course, I will not avoid her then,” he said. Earlier, he also excluded the possibility of taking up the ministry.

Deputy Marshal of the Sejm, co -chairman of the new left, Włodzimierz Czarzasty said on Tuesday that during a meeting of coalition partners, each leader was to present the vision and proposals of his grouping. He stated that he would not inform about his group's demands before the meeting, because he considers it inelegant and ineffective.

According to the coalition agreement, Szymon Hołownia is the Speaker of the Sejm until November 13, while from November 14 to the end of the term of office, Włodzimierz Czarzasty is to take over this function. On the part of Poland 2050, there were voices that the left as the smallest coalition party in the Sejm has too many positions and should give up one. (PAP)

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