Polish opposition suspends blockade

Members of the Polish opposition have put a provisional end to their month-long blockade of the plenary hall of the Sejm after the government lifted its restrictions on journalists' access to parliament. But Polish commentators predict that the country's state crisis is far from over.

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Polityka (PL) /

PiS is fuelling conflicts

The conflict is far from over even though the blockade has been lifted, Polityka fears:

“[PiS party leader] Kaczyński repeats constantly that democracy is based on the principle that the majority should govern. Naturally the majority governs. But that doesn't mean it has a mandate to bend the rule of law and sideline the opposition with propaganda, political pressure and fabricated accusations aimed at discrediting it. The people of Poland have registered the fact that the protest has lasted for 28 days. Nevertheless the blockade really only served to help the government smash the opposition. The crisis continues although the plenary hall of the Sejm is now empty. In particular it endures because the PiS rules by fanning conflicts and seeking new enemies. It can't do anything else, and it doesn't want to either.”

Rzeczpospolita (PL) /

Lack of solidarity within the opposition

The PiS did not win this round on its own, Rzeczpospolita believes:

“Rather, this has far more to do with the fact that the opposition has acted far too inconsistently and shown too little solidarity. ... We are experiencing a short truce between rounds of fighting. The government has now passed the budget. Calling it into question [as the opposition is doing] will soon be impossible because the president will soon sign it into law. So here too the PiS is victorious. ... The opposition must now reflect seriously on its position in the next two weeks. Basically the only means at its disposal are the ones it has already been using: either occupying the Sejm once again or shifting the [opposition civic movement] Kod's protest to the streets.”