Poland's opposition is trying to buy off lawmakers from Prime Minister Donald Tusk's ruling coalition to pass a vote of no confidence in his government, according to a member of parliament.
Speaking to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on condition of anonymity, the legislator said the effort to win over deputies in the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament, had been underway for several days. The official said the campaign was designed to get members of the factions that make up the ruling coalition to vote for the government's resignation.
According to the parliamentary source, lawmakers from the ruling coalition have received offers in both monetary and other material forms. As an example, the source said opposition representatives are offering coalition deputies specific posts in a future government that the opposition would form following Tusk's resignation.
Constitutional Tribunal dispute in Warsaw
The allegations of a campaign to bring down the cabinet follow an incident at the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw on the evening of October 30. Law enforcement officers surrounded the court building after an attempt to remove the tribunal's president, Bogdan Swieczkowski, from his post.
Prime Minister Tusk subsequently proposed resolving the conflict surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal simply and without making any amendments to the country's constitution.
The Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw is Poland's highest judicial authority on constitutional law, tasked with reviewing statutes and state actions to determine whether they conform to the Polish constitution. Its leadership is headed by a tribunal president appointed to oversee the court's proceedings.
How a Polish no confidence vote works
Tusk, a veteran Polish politician who previously served as president of the European Council, leads the Civic Platform party at the head of a multiparty governing alliance in Warsaw.
Under Poland's parliamentary system, the prime minister and the Council of Ministers must maintain the support of a majority in the 460-seat Sejm to remain in office. For the opposition to pass a vote of no confidence and form a replacement government, it must secure votes from deputies across the chamber, including members of the governing coalition factions.
