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Poland - Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS The current government structure consists of a council of ministers led by a Prime Minister, typically chosen from the majority coalition in the bicameral legislature's lower house (Sejm). The president, elected every five years for no more than two terms, is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The judicial branch plays a minor role in decision-making. The parliament consists of the 460-member Sejm and the 100-member Senat, or upper house. The new constitution and the reformed administrative division (as of 1999) required a revision of the election ordinance (passed in April 2001). The most important changes were liquidation of a national list (all deputies are elected by voters in electoral districts) and introduction of a new method of calculating seats (the modified St. Lague method replaced the d'Hondt method, thus eliminating the premium for the top parties). The law stipulated that with the exception of guaranteed seats for small ethnic parties, only parties receiving at least 5% of the total vote could enter parliament. Parties represented in the newly elected Sejm are Law and Justice (PiS), Civic Platform (PO), Self-Defense (SO), Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), the League of Polish Families (LPR), and the Polish Peasant Party (PSL). Principal Government Officials President--Lech Kaczynski (PiS) Prime Minister--Jaroslaw Kaczynski (PiS) Deputy Prime Minister--Przemyslaw Gosiewski (PiS) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance--Zyta Gilowska (PO) Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development--Wojciech Mojzesowicz Minister of Transport--Jerzy Polaczek Minister of Health--Zbigniew Religa Minister of Science and Higher Education--Micha³ Seweryñski Minister of Interior and Administration--W³adys³aw Stasiak Minister of National Defence--Aleksander Szczyg³o Minister of Environment--Jan Szyszko Minister of Culture and National Heritage--Kazimierz Micha³ Ujazdowski Minister, Member of the Council of Ministers--Zbigniew Wassermann Minister of Economy--Piotr Grzegorz Wo?niak Minister of Justice--Zbigniew Ziobro Minister of Construction--Miros³aw Barszcz Minister, Member of the Council of Ministers, Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister--Mariusz B³aszczak Minister of Foreign Affairs--Anna Fotyga Minister of Regional Development--Gra¿yna Gêsicka Minister of Marine Economy--Marek Gróbarczyk Minister of Sport and Tourism--El¿bieta Jakubiak Minister of State Treasury--Wojciech Jasiñski Minister of Labour and Social Policy--Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska Minister of National Education--Ryszard Legutko Coordinator for Special Services--Zbigniew Wassermann (PiS) Ambassador to the United States--Janusz Reiter Deputy Chief of Mission--Woijciech Flera Poland maintains an embassy in the United States at 2640 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-234-3800/3801/3802); the consular annex is at 2224 Wyoming Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-234-3800). Poland has consulates in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles.