Former Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced that he will formally register a new political party by October 15, following what he described as the effective end of his membership in Poland’s main opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS). The decision marks the latest development in the party’s most significant internal split in more than two decades.
The rift stems from Morawiecki’s creation of the Development Plus (Rozwój Plus) association in April, which he intended to serve as a more moderate platform within PiS. Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński subsequently ordered members to renounce involvement in outside political organisations and demanded the group’s dissolution. Around 40 lawmakers allied with Morawiecki refused to comply and were referred to the party’s disciplinary officer.
Speaking on the YouTube programme Rymanowski Live, Morawiecki said comments by PiS disciplinary spokesman Karol Karski confirmed that the party leadership had sought to force his faction out from the outset. Karski had earlier stated that the membership of the 40 lawmakers was effectively “dead” in practice, despite their remaining formal members of the party.
Morawiecki said the group’s exclusion had cleared the way for the launch of a new political party, which he pledged to establish no later than October 15. The date coincides with a previously announced Development Plus convention marking the third anniversary of Poland’s 2023 parliamentary election.
