2006年VOA标准英语-Polish President's Twin Set to Become Prime Min

By Stefan Bos
Budapest
08 July 2006

 
Polish President Lech Kaczynski, left, and his twin brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski are show in this 2005 file photo 
  
The twin brother of Poland's president has been chosen by the governing Law and Justice party to take over as head of government, after the prime minister formally submits his resignation on Monday. The political infighting could make Poland the only country with identical twins as president and prime minister.

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Przemyslaw Gosiewski, head of Poland's Law and Justice parliamentary group announced the party's choice to succeed Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz.

He said party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski was chosen to succeed Marcinkiewicz, who did not say why he was resigning. There have been reports in recent weeks of differences between Marcinkiewicz and the Kaczynskis over economic policies and taking government decisions without consulting coalition¹ partners.

Jacek Kucharczyk, the head of Poland's Public Affairs Institute, says the prime minister became a victim of his popularity with Polish voters. "I think we can safely assume that Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz has become too independent," he said. "Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz has been trying to build up his own political position, using his very high popularity. And, I think that he made the assumption that the party's leadership would not get rid of such a popular politician, and took some risk. I think that he simply over calculated."

The Law and Justice party sought to limit the damage on Saturday by asking him to run as its candidate for the post of Warsaw mayor.

If Jaroslaw Kaczynski is confirmed as the new prime minister by parliament next week, Poland will become the only country with identical twins as head of state and government. His twin brother, Lech Kaczynski, was elected president in October, following his unexpected victory over a liberal, pro-business candidate.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski admitted to reporters there was a certain risk for the president and prime minister to be brothers, but stressed his conservative Law and Justice Party concluded a different candidate would be a worse way out.

Critics view the Kaczynskis, former anti-communist activists², with skepticism because of their awkward ruling alliance with fringe nationalists and leftists, and their perceived anti-European Union feelings.

Economist³ Witold Orlowski, of Price Waterhouse Cooper, says there is concern among international investors⁴ that Jaroslaw Kaczynski is a eurosceptic, suspicious of foreign business. "He seems to be not very much interested in economic issues. That's kind of a challenge, because the new prime minister must make quite rapid announcements to clarify his views. This is the only way to make business feel secure about the economic policies of the Polish government," he said.

Poland is the largest economy among the 10 newest European Union members.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会