MARCINKIEWICZ NAMES POLISH GOVERNMENT

UNCLAS WARSAW 003734

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PL
SUBJECT: MARCINKIEWICZ NAMES POLISH GOVERNMENT

REF: WARSAW 3712 AND PREVIOUS


1. Summary: Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz named his new cabinet
on October 31, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs going to
career diplomat Stefan Meller and Defense to Radek Sikorski.
Reaching out to moderates like Zbigniew Religa as Minister of
Health and Teresa Lubinska at Finance suggests that despite
the implosion of the anticipated coalition with the Civic
Platform (PO),the new Prime Minister is seeking to build a
center-right consensus on his new governing team. The new
government is now functioning. Marcinkiewicz will present the
government for a vote of confidence on November 10. End
Summary.


2. Poland's new prime minister, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz,
announced his new government on October 31 with a mix of Law
and Justice (PiS) officials and moderate technocrats, clearly
designed to win the support of PO at the expense of more
radical parties. The new ministers include the following:

Agriculture -- Krzystof Jurgiel
Culture -- Kazimeirz Michal Ujazdowski
Defense -- Radek Sikorski
Development -- Grazyna Gesicka
Economy -- Tadeusz Wozniak
Finance -- Teresa Lubinska
Foreign Affairs and European Integration -- Stefan Meller
Infrastructure -- Jerzy Polaczek
Interior -- Ludwik Dorn (also will serve as Deputy Prime
Minister);
Justice -- Zbigniew Ziobro
Special Services Coordinator -- Zbigniew Wasserman
Sports -- Tomasz Lipiec
Treasury -- Andrzej Mikosz


3. As expected, PiS officials dominate the internal security
ministries and services. Marcinkiewicz named experts, some
with ties to PO, rather than PiS politicians, to the top
economic jobs which had been offered to PO. Minister of
Finance Lubinska, an economics professor at the University of
Szczecin, was Marcinkiewicz's PhD advisor. The Ministers of
Economy, Infrastructure and Development have all worked with
the Embassy, and are well regarded. Foreign Minister Meller,
until today served as Polish Ambassador to Russia, and
previously served as Polish Ambassador to France. Initial
reactions from our contacts at MFA are positive.


4. Marcinkiewicz now begins functioning as Prime Minister,
replacing former PM Marek Belka. He will submit his
government program to the Sejm for a vote of confidence on
November 10. PO has not said what it will do. In a televised
interview after the swearing in of the government, PO leader
Donald Tusk criticized PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski for the
failure of the coalition talks, but left the door open for
further discussion.


5. Detailed biographies of the new ministers will be
forthcoming.
CURTIN