(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Poland's political landscape remains shaky, according to a poll by GfK Polonia released by Rzeczpospolita. 31 per cent of respondents would back the opposition Civic Platform (PO), while 28 per cent would support the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) in the next general election.

The Left and Democracy (LiD) coalition is third with nine per cent, followed by the League for Self-Defence (LiS) with six per cent. Support is lower for the National Pensioners' Party (KPEiR), the Peasant's Party (PSL), and the Women's Party (PK).

In September 2005, voters in Poland renewed their legislative branch. Final results gave the PiS 26.9 per cent of the vote and 155 lawmakers in the 460-seat lower house. In October, economic expert Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz took over as prime minister and Lech Kaczynski won the presidential election. The coalition government included the PiS, the Self-Defence of the Polish Republic (SRP) and the League of Polish Families (LPR).

In July 2006, deputy prime minister and SRP leader Andrzej Lepper announced that Marcinkiewicz would resign after he made some decisions without consulting his coalition partners. Polish president Lech Kaczynski appointed PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski—his twin brother—as the country's new prime minister.

On Jul. 9, Polish president Lech Kaczynski dismissed Lepper—who also served as agricultural minister—after a government agency accused him of being involved in a bribery scandal. On Aug. 13, the president discharged the four cabinet ministers who are not members of the PiS. An early election is expected to take place in October.

On Aug. 28, prime minister Kaczynski denied accusations that he had ordered a pay hike for public servants the day before in order to secure their vote, saying, "We can afford this. This was an agreement prepared a long time before the election." The government increased the minimum wage by 20 per cent, and offered a 10 per cent increase for all public servant salaries.

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