WARSAW, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced Wednesday the formation of a new parliamentary caucus with his allies, deepening divisions within Law and Justice (PiS), Poland's largest opposition party.
Morawiecki said the new caucus would comprise 40 members of the lower house and one senator and serve as a political platform for the activities of the Development Plus association that he established earlier this year.
PiS's political committee on Tuesday decided to refer Morawiecki and his allies for disciplinary review after they failed to comply with an ultimatum to cut ties with outside political associations, including Development Plus, and to sign pledges of loyalty to PiS.
PiS spokesman Rafal Bochenek said Wednesday that the party membership of Morawiecki and his allies had not yet formally ended.
The dispute centers on the future direction of Poland's conservative camp. Morawiecki has advocated combining PiS's traditional conservative base with a more moderate, pro-growth platform aimed at attracting younger voters and entrepreneurs.
Allies of longtime PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, however, view Development Plus as a rival power center that could eventually evolve into a separate political party.
Morawiecki served as prime minister from 2017 to 2023. PiS, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, is currently the country's largest opposition party, holding 186 seats in the 460-seat Polish lower house. ■