Poland’s ruling coalition is experiencing turbulence after a senior member of the government announced she and more than a dozen other MPs are leaving to form a new parliamentary caucus.
Climate minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska told a press conference in parliament today that she and a group of MPs were leaving junior coalition member Poland 2050 to create a new parliamentary grouping called Centre.
The announcement followed weeks of turmoil within the party, which has in recent months been polling at around 1 per cent to 3 per cent, well below the threshold of 5 per cent needed in elections to enter parliament.
Poland 2050 was founded in 2021 by former TV presenter Szymon Hołownia following his strong third place in the 2020 presidential elections.
It initially pledged to seek to “break the duopoly of Tusk’s KO and the Conservatives (PiS), which have alternately ruled Poland for the past two decades. In 2023, after its electoral coalition with the centre-right Polish People’s Party (PSL) polled more than 14 per cent in that year’s parliamentary election, Poland 2050 and the PSL joined the coalition government led by Tusk.
The splitting of the centre ground had begun last year when Poland 2050 and PSL decided to end their electoral alliance of 2023 after Hołownia’s poor showing in the 2025 presidential election.
Tusk said both European and regional funds minister Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, who leads what remains of Poland 2050, and Hennig-Kloska had assured him they would remain loyal to the governing camp “regardless of the turbulence in their grouping”.
Describing the divide as a “temporary blip” Tusk confirmed that both Poland 2050 and Centre would remain in the coalition, which he said would “remain stable” at least until next year’s parliamentary election.
The ruling coalition holds 240 seats in the 460-member parliament with Tusk’s Civic Coalition accounting for 156, the centre-right Polish People’s Party 32, the Left Party 21 and the remainder of 31 coming from the divided Poland 2050.
The rift within Poland 2050 follows a bitterly contested leadership election between Pełczyńska -Nałęcz and Hennig-Kloska won by the former. She wanted Poland 2050 to adopt a more independent course within the Tusk coalition whereas her defeated opponent wanted ever closer co-operation with Tusk’s party.
Pełczyńska-Nałęcz’s supporters in an X post accused those who have left the party of failing to accept a democratic process.
“The members of Poland 2050 made a democratic choice. They elected a leader. They chose a path in line with our values and our DNA.”
The post went on to argue that all candidates had agreed to accept the decision of the majority.
“They have not kept that promise,” it read but assured that Poland 2050 would remain a member of the ruling coalition.
Hołownia echoed that sentiment, saying Pełczyńska-Nałęcz is the “democratically elected leader and we have to respect that”. He accused Hennig-Kloska of “destroying” the party and “destabilising the coalition”.
Most commentators expect Hennig-Kloska’s new grouping will seek to merge with Tusk’s KO while Pełczyńska-Nałęcz may ally with the PSL.
There has been speculation that the PSL, Pełczyńska-Nałęcz and Hołownia may in future cut a deal with PiS to form a government and that such an administration would find favour in the current US administration.
The PSL, though, remains reluctant to leave the present ruling coalition and without them no alternative government to Tusk’s can be formed in this parliament.
