What happens next?

16th April 2010

The death of President Lech Kaczynski in the Smolensk disaster left Poland’s stunned politicians struggling to make sense of a political world turned upside down.

With the president dead, the constitution provided a seamless transition of power with parliamentary speaker, Bronislaw Komorowski, becoming acting head of state. But while this provided stability, it many ways it could not have come at a worst time.

Presidential elections were due to be held in October, and Mr Komorowski had already been selected as the candidate representing the Civic Platform (OP) party. This meant that despite a political truce in respect for the dead many of his decisions would be seen through the pris ...