Poles Skeptical of Morawiecki's Return to PiS Amidst Party Strife

A new poll suggests that Poles are skeptical about the prospect of former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki rejoining the Law and Justice (PiS) party. Morawiecki's departure from PiS stemmed from an internal conflict between his supporters, known as "harcerze," and a faction aligned with Przemysław Czarnek, Jacek Sasin, Patryk Jaki, and Tobiasz Bocheński, referred to as "maślarze."

The "maślarze" faction champions a more radical right-wing stance for PiS, aiming to reclaim voters who have shifted to parties like Konfederacja. In contrast, Morawiecki believes the party should focus on attracting centrist-right voters. Tensions escalated when PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński initially designated Przemysław Czarnek as the party's candidate for prime minister, prompting Morawiecki to announce the formation of his own association, Rozwój Plus.

Kaczyński had previously threatened that members of associations perceived as attempts to build new political parties might not find places on PiS electoral lists. However, a compromise was reached after a meeting between Kaczyński and Morawiecki, suggesting PiS would accommodate "two lungs," acknowledging the existence of competing factions within the party. Despite this, Jacek Sasin, a "maślarz" representative, announced the formation of their own association, Po Pierwsze Polska.

The internal conflict intensified with the announcement of Morawiecki's "Rozwój Plus" meeting, dubbed the "Morawiecki grill." Prior to this event, the PiS Political Committee passed a resolution demanding that all party parliamentarians sign a declaration renouncing their involvement in any associations, under threat of expulsion. While Sasin's group promptly dissolved their association, Morawiecki declared he would not.

Members of Morawiecki's association viewed the party's demand as "lojalka" (a loyalty pledge) and an "humiliating" requirement. In response, 45 PiS politicians, including members of parliament and MEPs, sent a letter to Kaczyński emphasizing their commitment to party unity and regaining lost voters. Although a meeting between Kaczyński and Morawiecki occurred, it did not resolve the dispute, with the party spokesperson confirming the directive to leave associations remained in effect.