Minority Governments in Poland

Abstract

Abstract This chapter studies minority government formation, governance, and performance in Poland over more than twenty years since 1997. During this period, five out of fifteen Polish governments had a minority status, and such governments remained in office for more than one fifth of the time. Three key points are made about the Polish experience with minority governments. First, most of the minority cabinets started life in the wake of major political crises when majority coalitions broke down and governments slipped into minority status. Many of such minority cabinets had a weak position in policy terms, leaving them vulnerable to alternative legislative majorities in parliament. Second, a complex interplay of electoral, office, and policy motivations discouraged the formation of stable support arrangements, and minority cabinets typically governed by building ad hoc legislative coalitions. Third, Polish minority cabinets have had a mixed record in legislative performance, with supported minority cabinets and unsupported cabinets formed by disciplined core parties demonstrating high effectiveness.