The prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party removed all ministers belonging to Self-Defence and the Catholic-nationalist League of Polish Families (LPR), replacing them with PiS loyalists and non-party experts.

ECONOMIST: Poland's government has collapsed

In Poland's election, the Civic Platform party trounced the ruling Law and Justice party of the prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who will now step down.

ECONOMIST: Politics this week

To be fair, the government faces one huge constraint: Law and Justice's Lech Kaczynski, twin brother of the former prime minister, who will be president until 2010.

ECONOMIST: Poland's politics