News Parkiet

Politics

Marcinkiewicz forms minority cabinet

Polish prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz (PiS) formed a minority government on Monday following the collapse of talks two form a coalition with the free-market oriented Civic Platform. University professor Teresa Lubińska was named as the new finance minister in the Law & Justice government, backed by a third of the parliament?s 460 deputies. Other key appointments include new treasury minister Andrzej Mikosz, a corporate lawyer and minister of the economy Piotr Woźniak, a former senior executive at the state-owned PGNiG natural gas monopoly.

In one of her first statements Ms. Lubińska said she isn?t planning any major changes in next year?s budget, including spending cuts to reduce 30 billion zloty deficit planned for 2006.

Telecommunications

Law & Order to fight telecom monopolies

Populist right-wing group Law and Order (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość), winner of this month?s double presidential and parliamentary elections says it will make the life harder for the country?s former telecommunications monopoly TPSA and for the three mobile phone companies. PiS says it will replace the ineffectual head of URTiP telecommunications watchdog and regulatory changes that would make it easier for the government agency to actually enforce its verdicts.