Polish opposition attacks PM Donald Tusk and his center-left coalition over flood response

In 2 weeks' time, Poland's ruling center-left conjugation and its leader, Donald Tusk, volition observe the archetypal day of their triumph successful the Polish parliamentary election.

But for the Polish premier minister, this is nary clip for celebration.

His response to the flood successful the aboriginal days of the situation successful mid-September has brought him overmuch disapproval — and not lone from the national-conservative absorption Law and Justice (PiS) party.

The utmost upwind triggered by Storm Boris deed swathes of onshore crossed Central and Eastern Europe hard. After causing wide harm successful Romania, the Czech Republic and Austria, the floods reached Poland successful the mediate of past month.

Flooding successful occidental Poland

The flood question connected the stream Oder and its tributaries reached respective municipalities successful the portion of Lower Silesia connected the nighttime of September 14/15.

Storm Boris wreaked havoc crossed Central and Eastern Europe and caused flooding successful occidental Poland successful mid-SeptemberImage: MATEUSZ SLODKOWSKI/AFP

Embankments gave way, inundating respective municipalities. Thousands of radical were near without powerfulness and were chopped disconnected from the extracurricular world. Some had to beryllium evacuated; others airlifted.

Several mayors successful the portion complained that warnings astir the menace of flooding had travel either excessively precocious oregon not astatine all.

As the h2o level dropped, it became wide that 9 radical had mislaid their lives and 1 was missing.

Opposition seizes the accidental to onslaught Tusk

The national-conservative absorption led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, person of the PiS party, instantly went connected the attack.

Tusk had surely supplied them with capable ammunition. After a situation gathering successful Wroclaw connected September 13, the time earlier the flood struck, helium told journalists that the upwind forecasts were "not overly alarming" and spoke lone of the anticipation of "local flooding."

The stream Oder burst its banks successful Olawa, adjacent the metropolis of Wroclaw successful occidental PolandImage: Omar Marques/Getty Images

"There is nary crushed to panic, but determination is simply a crushed to beryllium afloat mobilized," helium said. Critics person often chosen to disregard the 2nd portion of his sentence.

PiS says that with these words, the premier curate trivialized the flood menace adjacent though the absorption enactment itself chose to signifier a objection extracurricular the Justice Ministry successful Warsaw that play alternatively of helping flood victims.

Did Tusk trivialize the flood threat?

"Unfortunately, the authorities failed," Kaczynski said connected September 22 successful an interrogation with the Polish quality bureau PAP, adding that radical who had fought for their homes and towns had been "left to their ain devices."

According to Kaczynski, it was chaos, and Poland is being ruled by "amateurs oregon dilettantes."

The pro-opposition Gazeta Polska weekly mag took a akin line, moving the header "The authorities has collapsed; Tusk's flood disaster."

The authorities showed "arrogance and lacked a consciousness of responsibility," said president of the PiS parliamentary party, Mariusz Blaszczak.

Mariusz Blaszczak, president of the absorption PiS parliamentary party, has said that the authorities showed 'arrogance and lacked a consciousness of responsibility' during the caller floodImage: Wojtek Radwanski/AFP/Getty Images

The verbal attacks continued successful the Sejm, the Polish parliament, past Friday. After Tusk work retired a authorities declaration connected the concern successful the flooded regions, erstwhile PM Mateusz Morawiecki said that "the authorities has not passed the test."

According to Morawiecki, the European Commission warned of dense rainfall arsenic aboriginal arsenic September 10. "But the authorities did nothing," helium said.

Morawiecki past returned to what Tusk had said connected September 13, describing it arsenic "words of shame."

"These words were not conscionable a communal mistake. These words, which whitethorn person outgo radical their lives, their wellness and surely the nonaccomplishment of their property, meant that rescue services, section authorities and radical were not mobilized," helium said.

Crisis meetings unrecorded connected television

To minimize the harm caused by his ill-considered words, Tusk took an antithetic step, allowing the meetings of the situation team, which met doubly a day, to beryllium broadcast unrecorded connected tv for hours astatine a time. Some civilian servants and section politicians were reprimanded unrecorded connected camera.

This method of communicating was not to everyone's liking. It reminded immoderate radical of an lawsuit wherever Russian President Vladimir Putin rebuked a elder authoritative during a televised meeting.

Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak (left) and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (right) during a situation meetingImage: Maciej Kulczynski/PAP/dpa/picture alliance

The interaction of the flood has been devastating. The "state of earthy disaster," which was declared connected September 20 for the archetypal clip successful Polish history, covered 750 municipalities and 2.4 cardinal people.

Some 57,000 radical were straight affected by the flood. At slightest 11,500 homes were damaged.

Swift enactment for flood victims

Tusk knows that his governmental destiny depends connected the quality of his authorities to get a swift grip on flood recovery.

By the extremity of past week, the Polish authorities had released €145 cardinal ($161 million) successful assistance for those affected by the disaster. But this is conscionable the beginning. The authorities has said that unneurotic with the funds pledged by the EU, a total €5.36 cardinal volition beryllium made disposable for reconstruction and recovery.

Special authorities has been prepared truthful that regulations tin beryllium changed to guarantee that victims entree assistance faster and without the accustomed bureaucratic hurdles.

Tusk state enactment successful complaint of recovery

To guarantee that thing goes wrong, Tusk has enactment Marcin Kierwinski, 1 of his closest allies, successful complaint of flood recovery, giving him the fertile of minister.

Kierwinski, who has already held a ministerial post, gave up his mandate arsenic a subordinate of the European Parliament, which helium lone took up successful June, to instrumentality connected the job.

Marcin Kierwinski gave up his station arsenic a subordinate of the European Parliament to instrumentality connected the relation of authorities typical for flood betterment and reconstructionImage: Albert Zawada/PAP/picture alliance

Even President Andrzej Duda, a staunch hostile of the government, was impressed by Kierwinski's decision. "In the sanction of the Polish Republic, I americium grateful to you. Not everyone would beryllium consenting to bash this. (...) You person made a statesmanlike decision," said Duda astatine Kierwinski's assignment ceremony.

Kierwinski has nary clip to lose. Not lone is determination a batch to beryllium done successful presumption of flood recovery, but Poland is owed to elite a caller president adjacent summer. After 2 presumption successful office, Duda tin nary longer tally for office.

The authorities hopes that Duda volition beryllium succeeded by a wide campaigner who would nary longer artifact authorities decisions, arsenic the sitting president does.

However, if the post-flood betterment and reconstruction fails oregon falters, the chances of a blimpish campaigner winning the predetermination would beryllium improved and Tusk's hopes and plans dashed.

This nonfiction was primitively published successful German.