Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has presented his new cabinet, Polish media reported on Wednesday.
According to Tusk, the new government’s priorities will be to combat the alleged “aggressive actions of Russia and Belarus,” as well as “sabotage on the domestic front” and restoring order.
“We are now living in a sense in a pre-war period,” he said. In addition, the aim of the reshuffle was to overcome differences within the ruling coalition, Tusk stressed.
The total number of ministers was reduced from 26 to 21. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski was given the additional post of deputy prime minister to more effectively manage the complex relations with Ukraine. Marcin Kierwiński was reappointed Minister of the Interior and Administration, while Tomasz Siemoniak remained coordinator of the special services.
Two new ministries have been created in the government: the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which combines the functions of the former Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Development and Technology, and the Ministry of Energy, which combines the powers of the Ministry of Climate and the Ministry of Industry. They will be headed by Andrzej Domański and 32-year-old Miłosz Motyka, respectively.
Wojciech Balczun, former head of the Ukrainian state-owned company Ukrainian Railways, has been appointed Minister of State Assets. Adam Bodnar has been replaced as Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General by Waldemar Żurek, a judge from Krakow.
Other changes affected the ministries of agriculture, health, culture and sport.
Earlier, Polish media reported that the approval rating of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government had fallen to its lowest level since the cabinet took office.
