Rebel MPs face party suspension after finance bill abstentions

Jaroslaw Gowin: photo - PAP/Paweł Supernak

Jaroslaw Gowin – who is standing against Prime Minister Donald Tusk this summer in a party leadership election - plus John Godson and Jacek Żalek, abstained in the lower house of parliament (Sejm) from a vote on the government's draft amendment to the Public Finance Act, which would allow levels of government borrowing to be raised to meet a shortfall of revenue due to the economic slowdown.

One of the rebel MPs, Jacek Zalek said this week that a vote to ease public finance discipline would set a precedent and threaten a “borrowing binge” by the government.

The vote to raise public borrowing levels over 50 percent of annual GDP was carried by 235 MPs to 210 against with five abstentions.

Head of Civic Platform’s parliament party, Rafal Grupinski said that a decision on whether to suspend the rebel MPs from the party would be taken later on Friday.

Jaroslaw Gowin leads the conservative wing of the centre-right Civic Platform and has been in conflict with the leadership of the party over social issues such as his opposition to a civil partnership bill, after which PM Donald Tusk sacked him from the government in May. (pg)

Source: IAR/PAP