Poland on Election Footing As Coalition Collapses

Poland faces an early general election this autumn after the president today sacked four ministers, ending the conservative coalition that has led the country for 15 months.

The sacked ministers were replaced with members or allies of the Law and Justice party (PiS), led by the president, Lech Kaczynski, and his twin brother, Jaroslaw, who is the prime minister.

With the government now lacking a majority in parliament, political commentators expect that it will have to call an election two years early, possibly on October 21.

The prime minister and the president stood side by side at Warsaw's Belvedere palace today to announce they were dismissing all four cabinet ministers belonging to the right-wing League of Polish Families and the agrarian Self-defence party.

Jaroslaw Kaczynsk said: "Today's changes stem from a change in the political situation, from the end of the coalition's work. There is going to be a shortened term and elections not far off."

An early election would be risky for the Law and Justice party as opinion polls suggest it is trailing the main opposition party, Civic Platform.

Should Law and Justice lose, it would bring to an end the unique situation of identical twins holding the country's two most powerful jobs.

The end of the conservative coalition government could also affect several major political challenges facing the country.

These include a decision on whether or not to host a US missile defence base, a plan that has outraged Poland's former Soviet ally Russia.

The Kaczynskis were elected on the promise to fight corruption and remove ex-communists from influential positions. They still enjoy the support of a core of rural, conservative voters, but have drawn criticism from Poles seeking closer ties to the European Union.

Law and Justice has clashed with Brussels on a range of issues in which Warsaw felt its sovereignty was threatened - including a bank takeover, voting rights within the EU and environmental protection.