New Polish gov't sworn in

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski on Friday sworn in Donald Tusk as prime minister. A ceremony of swearing-in the new government took place in the Presidential Palace on Friday. Komorowski wished success to the new government. Key government figures including Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak and Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak have retained their posts. The ruling Civic Platform (PO) won Poland's parliamentary elections on Oct. 9 with nearly 40 percent of votes. In the 460-seat Sejm, lower house of parliament, the PO got 207 seats. Having again teamed up with junior coalition partner, the Polish People's Party (PSL), Tusk's government commands a stable majority of 235 in the Sejm. In his policy speech before the Sejm on Friday, Poland's freshly elected centrist prime minister vowed to use his second consecutive term to introduce sweeping austerity reforms aimed at safeguarding growth amid crisis in the eurozone. Tusk focused on socio-economic issues and fighting the crisis. Foreign policy was dealt with only very generally. In an hour-long statement, Tusk stressed that government efforts must be targeted on safeguarding the security and well-being of every citizen. The next year could prove to be the most critical as far turbulence in the world and Europe were concerned. "The hurricane of financial crisis around us is threatening the security of even the most developed nations," he noted. "In the next four years and later on, we will prove that Poland can be the best in Europe in many respects, can be a leader in areas that we have never expected it can," the prime minister declared. Later on Friday, the Sejm will hold a many-hour plenary debate, which is followed by a vote of confidence in the new cabinet on Saturday. The vote of confidence in any new government is passed by the absolute majority of votes in the presence of at least 50 percent of the constitutional number of deputies which is 230.