Power Changes Hands in Warsaw, Change of Course in Foreign Policy?

The traditionalist-patriotic Law and Justice Party (PiS) emerged as the winner of the Polish parliamentary and presidential elections. Its Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz now heads the ruling minority government, and at the year's end Lech Kaczyński, a PiS leader, will take over as head of state. Since it was founded in 2001, the PiS has gone in for Euro-sceptical, national rhetoric critical of Germany that has raised doubts about the parties predictability and reliability. In stark contrast to the strong-arm overtone of recent years and the electoral campaign, for the time being, the Marcinkiewicz government and the PiS leadership have indicated to their EU partners flexibility and readiness to cooperate. And they have expressed the will to intensify relations with Germany. As long as the new political team in Warsaw remains pragmatic in its foreign and European policy and does not build a formal coalition with radical groups, Poland should be involved by its European partners rather than isolated.