Morawiecki Expelled from PiS After Internal Power Struggle

Background of the Conflict

The background to the conflict is the direction of the PiS following its defeat in the 2023 parliamentary election. In that legislative term, the party lost its governing majority in the Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament. Since then, Kaczynski has pursued a more ideologically driven line, while Morawiecki and his supporters advocated for a more business-friendly and pro-European positioning.

The expulsion was confirmed by the party's disciplinary court on the grounds that Morawiecki had violated the duty of unity by founding the internal party group. Morawiecki's supporters, by contrast, speak of a political settling of scores and announced that they would appeal the decision before the relevant party bodies.

Among the Polish public, the move is seen as the provisional climax of a power struggle that has been simmering for months within the country's largest opposition party. Observers expect that further members of PiS's economically liberal wing could turn their backs on the party or be sanctioned in turn.

Consequences for Opposition Work in Parliament

At the European level, the conflict is likely to reinvigorate the debate about Poland's relationship with the EU Commission. During his time in office, Morawiecki had repeatedly advocated for reconciliation with Brussels and was criticized by Kaczynski for doing so. With his expulsion, PiS loses one of its most prominent figures with European policy experience.

The PiS remains by far the strongest opposition force in the Sejm, but must reorganize part of its parliamentary group. The position of Marshal of the Sejm and committee chairmanships previously held by MPs loyal to Morawiecki could be redistributed. The next state and local elections will also be a mood test for the PiS.

Morawiecki himself has so far not publicly commented on a possible move to another party or the founding of a new political movement. His circle merely let it be known that he would "continue to advocate for an open, economically strong Poland."

The development marks the end of a phase in which Morawiecki was considered a possible successor to Kaczynski at the top of the party. The conflict between the two men goes back to Morawiecki's time in government between 2017 and 2023 and most recently broke out openly when Morawiecki defended the EU Commission in a parliamentary debate against criticism from his own faction.