Morawiecki splits with PiS to launch independent election bid with Rozwój Plus

Independent election plans and party rift

Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki declared that his movement, Rozwój Plus, will run independently in upcoming parliamentary elections. The announcement excludes joint candidate lists with Law and Justice (PiS), formalizing a rift between the former head of government and his longtime political home. In television appearances on Polsat News, Morawiecki outlined his distance from former cabinet colleagues and party leadership. Response from PiS figures followed quickly, with former State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin stating he could more easily envision cooperating with Confederation than with Rozwój Plus. The escalating hostility replaces years of cooperation between Morawiecki and PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński.

Accusations over 2023 election defeat

Mutual recriminations quickly turned toward the causes of PiS losing power in the 2023 parliamentary elections. PiS politician Michał Wójcik publicly criticized Morawiecki, arguing that flaws in the design of the Polish Deal economic program led directly to the electoral defeat. Morawiecki countered that party leadership gave the Polish Deal a standing ovation upon its initial presentation. He acknowledged operational errors during rollout, while describing the final tax adjustments as the largest contribution cut in the history of the Third Republic. Morawiecki also addressed political patronage within state enterprises, connecting party appointees to the 2023 outcome.

Fat cats in our time also contributed to our defeat in 2023. Look at how openly I speak about this.

Clashes over economic policy and enterprise charges

Morawiecki also unveiled the economic platform of Rozwój Plus, dubbed Powered by Poland, which focuses on domestic enterprise support. He criticized PiS economic proposals, asserting that former party colleagues have shifted toward liberal economic stances and Confederation policies. Under his plan, newly established businesses would receive a reduction in social insurance (ZUS) contributions to one-third for their first four years, followed by progressive rates. Morawiecki argued this structure protects small workshops, bakeries, and retail shops struggling with fixed ZUS obligations of 2,400 zlotys per month. He asserted that generic PiS tax proposals instead protect wealthy figures, citing Dawid Kacprzyk and Przemysław Kral as examples of individuals who should not benefit.

Dispute over small modular nuclear reactors

Tensions extended into key state energy projects initiated during Morawiecki's tenure, specifically the deployment of small modular nuclear reactors. While small reactor projects were originally pursued jointly by Morawiecki and former Orlen chief executive Daniel Obajtek, both figures now publicly disown each other's roles. Obajtek, designated to lead economic policy in any future PiS administration, rejected responsibility for state-level governance decisions during his corporate tenure.

I was the CEO of Orlen. I did not participate in running the state, so do not throw me into that sack.

Obajtek questioned Morawiecki's claims regarding control over customs and tax authorities during his premiership. Morawiecki contended that interventions by special services disrupted the nuclear reactor project while it was on track. The dispute follows disclosures from two years prior, when Prime Minister Donald Tusk cited intelligence assessments stating the joint nuclear company was structured against state interests.