Poland's primary opposition political force, the conservative nationalist Law and Justice party, is currently navigating a significant internal rift regarding its future strategic direction. Party leadership indicated on Friday that more than 30 lawmakers have effectively departed from the organization. The party, which governed Poland from 2015 until 2023, is currently struggling to maintain unity as it faces political pressure ahead of a national election scheduled for next year, alongside competition from parties positioned further to its right.
The internal conflict centers on a disagreement between longtime party leader Jarosław Kaczyński and former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who served in the role from 2017 to 2023. Morawiecki, often associated with a more moderate faction within the party, founded an association in April named Development Plus. This move has been met with suspicion by many within the Law and Justice ranks. A critical deadline for party members to commit to not participating in other political associations passed on Thursday night, and a subsequent meeting between Kaczyński and Morawiecki failed to produce a resolution.
Despite the claims from party leadership, there is conflicting information regarding the status of these members. Piotr Müller, a European Parliament lawmaker and supporter of Morawiecki, contradicted the party's narrative by stating on X that no members of Development Plus had officially resigned from Law and Justice. Morawiecki himself noted on Friday that while he and his associates have not yet discussed forming a new political party, the group must deliberate on all future plans.
During its tenure from 2015 to 2023, Law and Justice was known for consolidating control over the judiciary by appointing loyalist judges and disciplining critics. Since Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal government took power, it has attempted to reverse these judicial changes, though these efforts have repeatedly faced roadblocks from two successive presidents who maintain sympathies toward Law and Justice. Currently, Law and Justice holds 186 seats within the 460-seat Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament.
