Jarosław Kaczyński set for return to frontline politics

Poland’s most powerful politician, Jarosław Kaczyński, may be the country’s next prime minister if his Law and Justice party (PiS) wins the upcoming parliamentary elections by a significant margin, according to the news website Wp.pl.

The website has reported that the country’s current prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, would stay on as Mr Kaczynski’s deputy with responsibility for the economy, finances and representing the country abroad.

Mr Kaczyński, now 70, briefly served as Poland’s prime minister from July 2006 to November 2007, when Law and Justice was defeated in that year’s general election by Civic Platform.

Since PiS returned to power in 2015 Mr Kaczyński – who has led the party since 2003 – has taken a less public role and besides his seat in the Polish parliament holds no official position. He has long been viewed however as the driver of PiS policy and is credited with masterminding the party’s success in May’s European elections, when the party won 45.38 per cent of the vote. PiS retains a comfortable lead in opinion polls and is expected to win the forthcoming parliamentary election, set to be held in October or November.