WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland’s president said on Thursday he would convene the first sitting of the newly elected parliament on Nov. 13 but did not announce whom he would task with forming a new government, after the ruling nationalists lost their absolute majority.
The Law and Justice (PiS) party came first in the Oct. 15 election but is unlikely to find a partner to form another coalition. Three pro-European parties say they are ready to form a cabinet led by liberal Civic Coalition leader Donald Tusk and urged President Andrzej Duda not to delay his appointment.
“I can say that the preliminary date of the first session of the lower house of parliament will be Monday Nov. 13, which is the fastest possible date taking into account constitutional norms,” said Duda, a PiS ally.
The president has 30 days from election day to convene the first session of the new parliament and then 14 days to nominate a candidate for prime minister.
Duda has previously said he would give the first shot at forming a government to the largest single party – PiS – and aides have said he will not be rushed into making a choice. He met this week with leaders of all the parties who won seats in the new parliament.
(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz; editing by Mark Heinrich)
