Poland’s ruling party regains narrow parliament majority

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s right-wing coalition government has regained its slim majority in parliament after some defectors returned, the leader of the country’s main ruling party said Wednesday.

Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said the party’s coalition with two small partner parties now accounts for 232 seats in the 460-member lower house.

Kaczynski said that one of the three coalition lawmakers who defected last month, leading to the government’s loss of a voting majority in parliament, has returned. Some other lawmakers have also rejoined the coalition, he said.

Kaczynski’s appearance to make the announcement underscores the importance he attaches to the coalition’s power to vote in new laws, a process that recently encountered hurdles.

Some laws introduced by the ruling coalition have drawn criticism from the European Union, including changes to the justice system that the EU says threaten the rule of law in Poland.

The ruling coalition narrowly lost its Senate majority in the country’s 2019 parliamentary election. It has 48 out 100 votes in the Senate.