Warsaw, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Jun, 2023 ) :The head of Poland's governing conservatives, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, on Wednesday returned to the cabinet as deputy prime minister, in what the party hopes will strengthen its position ahead of an upcoming general election.
The 74-year-old has been widely regarded as Poland's de facto leader since his Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015.
Kaczynski's return to government "is a totally justified and necessary decision," President Andrzej Duda said during the appointment ceremony.
According to observers, Kaczynski's return is meant to bring stability to the government -- which has been plagued by infighting and internal conflicts -- and prepare the conservatives for an upcoming election which will likely take place in October.
"This is an important reinforcement ahead of the election and a clear message that we are fighting for victory," government spokesman Piotr Muller told state television.
Kaczynski is now the sole deputy prime minister.
Previously there were four deputy premiers in the cabinet, who all resigned from their posts alongside the moves announced on Wednesday.
They will remain members of the cabinet.
Kaczynski had previously served as a deputy prime minister in charge of security from October 2020 to June 2022.
"Jaroslaw Kaczynski's role will be different from last time," said Jacek Sasin, one of the deputy premiers who resigned.
"As of now he will coordinate all of the government's work." Mateusz Morawiecki remains as the country's prime minister.
Polls show the PiS is polling first, but the main opposition party, Civic Platform (PO), has been gaining ground.
According to an opinion survey carried out this month by the CBOS institute, the PiS had 33 percent of support, while the PO had 27 percent -- an increase of four percentage points compared with the previous poll.
The far-right Confederation party had 8 percent support while both the leftists and a coalition between the centrist Poland 2050 party and the PSL farmers received five percent of support.
Kaczynski's appointment was greeted with scepticism by the opposition.
"Kaczynski has returned to the government that he has led from the beginning, and his official boss has always been his subordinate," PO politician Grzegorz Schetyna said on Twitter.
