Latest news with #cabinet reshuffle
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Poland's Tusk unveils new cabinet in bid to reverse decline
Donald Tusk's coalition has steadily declined in opinion polls since mid-2024. (AP pic) WARSAW : Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced a cabinet reshuffle today in a bid to regain momentum amid falling approval ratings and potential clashes with the new, opposition-backed nationalist president. Since Karol Nawrocki's victory over Tusk's liberal ally Rafal Trzaskowski in June's presidential election, dissension within the ruling pro-European coalition has grown, raising doubt about its future under a veto-wielding head of state. Under the reshuffle, foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski was promoted to deputy prime minister while keeping his current post. 'We as a government need a very strong political figure in international relations,' Tusk told reporters. To consolidate oversight of economic affairs, Tusk announced a new super ministry combining finance and the economy to be headed by current finance minister Andrzej Domanski. 'The most important structural undertaking is building a viable financial and economic centre. There will be a single centre operating transparently and implementing a comprehensive economic policy,' Tusk said. Milosz Motyka from junior coalition party PSL will head a newly created energy ministry. A judge, Waldemar Zurek, was named to run the justice ministry as it seeks to shore up rule of law standards that critics say deteriorated under the previous nationalist government. Tusk's coalition has steadily declined in opinion polls since mid-2024. This month, the share of government opponents has risen to 48% while the government's support has held steady at 32%, the latest CBOS poll showed. Polls have traced the government's drop in popularity to public disenchantment with a lack of concrete achievements, with the opposition landing effective blows over a failure to stem undocumented migration into Poland. The reshuffle drew criticism from the main opposition Law and Justice party, which lost power in the 2023 election. 'Reconstruction means nothing other than the further destruction of Poland. Some incompetents were replaced by others,' the party's vice president, Mariusz Blaszczak, said in a post on X. Nawrocki, who will be sworn in as president on Aug 6, has questioned the coalition's pro-European, liberal agenda but said he is willing to accept moves to increase the tax-free pay threshold and deregulate parts of the economy. 'All laws that will be good for Poles will meet with my approval,' Nawrocki said in the televised interview on Monday. Tusk, in his remarks announcing the reshuffle, called on supporters not to despair after Nawrocki's presidential victory. 'No defeat, including the presidential election, justifies this mood or despair, this slackness, these thoughts of surrender… The time of post-election trauma definitely ends today,' the former European Council president said.
The Herald
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Nkabane removed as higher education minister, replaced by Buti Manamela
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Buti Manamela as minister of higher education and training. Manamela will replace Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, who issued a statement thanking Ramaphosa for entrusting her with the responsibility of serving as a minister. Manamela had served as deputy minister of higher education and training, a role he held from the seventh administration. 'Consequently, President Ramaphosa has appointed Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, deputy minister of higher education and training,' the presidency said in a statement. The presidency said Dube's long government leadership experience included serving as MEC for co-operative government and traditional affairs and premier of KwaZulu-Natal. 'Section 93 (b) (of the constitution) empowers the president to appoint no more than two deputy ministers from outside the [National] Assembly.' The Sunday Times reported that Nkabane was facing the chop after being accused of lying to parliament about the appointment of the controversial panel to appoint sector education and training authorities (Seta) boards. The Sunday Times has previously reported Ramaphosa and the ANC's top officials had resolved she had compromised the party and her position in the cabinet. After her removal on Monday, Nkabane said: 'It has been a privilege to lead this important portfolio and I am grateful to the sector and the people of South Africa for their support and for allowing me to serve in this capacity.' TimesLIVE
