WARSAW, 17 January 2004 — It’s all been a misunderstanding, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski assured as he tried to quell the rumors of an impending change of government.

However, last week the same Kwasniewski hinted that Prime Minister Leszek Miller might delegate some of his tasks, leading Polish media to speculate that a resignation may be in the offing.

Days later, the message was different.

“Changing the prime minister at this time would be a step in the wrong direction and badly timed,” Kwasniewski stressed in a radio interview.

Poland does not need the threat of chaos as it faces the challenges posed by European Union membership.

Kwasniewski said that his remarks about Miller distributing his tasks were made in the context of Miller’s physical condition following a near fatal helicopter accident in December. But both Miller and his party, the Polish Social Democrats, are suffering. Drastic cuts in social expenditure, controversial reforms and a series of corruption scandals have plunged the Polish left into troubled waters.

More than two years ago Polish voters placed their hopes in Miller’s SLD. Now Miller’s political situation harks back to that of his conservative predecessor Jerzy Buzek. The coalition with the moderate farmers’ party PSL broke up nine months ago. Ongoing Cabinet reshuffles had an unsettling effect and caused more public skepticism while populist parties piled on the pressure.

Allegations of bribery, particularly during the preparation of a new media law, and alleged connections between SLD politicians and the mafia have helped the conservative opposition parties develop a “clean” public image.

Overtaking the SLD in the popularity stakes is the liberal-conservative Citizens’ Platform (PO) and one of its most prominent politicians, Jan Rokita, was even named the 2003 Man of the Year by Wprost magazine.

An opinion poll published in Rzeczpospolita newspaper Thursday showed that only 17 percent would vote for the SLD, putting the party in third place behind the radical farmers’ party Samoobrona and the PO, which topped the poll with 26 percent support.

Rokita, from a background of representing a relatively small conservative faction, is the PO’s rising star. It was Rokita who came up with the slogan “Nice or death” marking Poland’s defiant stance against the principle of double majority voting in the future EU constitution. Being a member of the parliamentary tribunal examining the so-called “Rywingate” scandal, which was televised live, helped to increase his public profile.

Crusading against corruption is sure to win votes in Poland as most Poles are convinced politicians are all too easy to bribe.