Polish senator vows to quit caucus in protest at deal with ex-communists

The senator, Jan Rulewski, was once a well-known democratic opposition activist and spent time in prison when Poland was under communism.

He said in a media interview on Thursday that he was quitting the parliamentary caucus of the opposition Civic Platform (PO) party after its leader made a deal with former communists ahead of European Parliament elections.

The Civic Platform, which Rulewski represents in the upper house of parliament, is Poland’s largest opposition party. It in February established the so-called European Coalition with the Modern (Nowoczesna) group, the Polish People’s Party (PSL), the country’s Greens party, and the postcommunist Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) ahead of an upcoming European ballot.

Rulewski told private television broadcaster Polsat News on Thursday that the coalition’s election tickets included former members of the defunct communist Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR), who he said were "sneaking values into the European Coalition that they once steadfastly defended.”

Poland was under communism for decades after World War II until 1989.

The country last week marked 30 years since its democratic opposition and former communist leaders concluded landmark talks that paved the way to the collapse of communism across the region.

Poles will vote in European elections on May 26.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR, TVP Info, dorzeczy.pl