Seventy four senators cast their votes for the treaty - the Civic Platform (PO), the non-affiliated post-communist Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, and 15 Law and Justice (PiS) senators, including deputy Senate speaker Zbigniew Romaszewski. However, there was a split in the PiS caucus, with 17 senators voting against and five abstaining (as did the non-affiliated Lucjan Cichosz).
On Tuesday afternoon, after the lower house, or Sejm, had already endorsed the treaty, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński said he didn't know how the PiS senators would vote. The PO was five votes short of a majority, and the eurosceptics' ranks were being mobilised by the nationalist-Catholic Radio Maryja and its Nowy Dziennik daily, with Senator Ryszard Bender appealing for the upper house to oppose a 'new partition of Poland'. In the evening, however, Mr Kaczyński urged the PiS senators to vote for the treaty.
President Lech Kaczyński was supposed to do the same in the Senate, but he was preparing for departure for the Nato summit in Bucharest. Prime Minister Donald Tusk made a speech instead. He spoke of a joint victory of all political forces in Poland and repeated his pledge that the terms of the deal reached with the President - support for the treaty in return for a new law on the cabinet's and parliament's relationship with the EU - would be fulfilled. He argued that the treaty strengthened the position of national parliaments, pointed out to the provision about energy solidarity. 'We may have different ways, but we have the same goal - Poland's welfare', he appealed to the PiS senators.
A few moments later it was clear the treaty would be passed. Deputy speaker Zbigniew Romaszewski, speaking on behalf of the PiS caucus, mentioned the PiS's doubts regarding the treaty, but in the end declared: 'The PiS will vote in favour'.
And though no voting discipline was introduced in the caucus, following Mr Romaszewski's declaration the Prime Minister, reassured, left the Senate. And a group of clearly relaxed PO senators went for lunch to the Senate canteen. 'This means that all the votes in the PiS caucus have been counted and at least the PiS Senate committee leaders will vote yes', one of the PO senators explained to the members of the press.
During the same time, the treaty's opponents stepped forward, though they spoke without much conviction. 'This will be a new partition of Poland. The Lisbon treaty establishes a new state called the European Union and Poland will be but an administrative unit in it!' warned Ryszard Bender. At the same time, the PiS eurosceptics were obviously trying not to attack President Lech Kaczyński who had negotiated the treaty. 'Our dear President fought bravely in Brussels as the real son of the Polish knights from Grunwald, Chocim and Vienna. But there's no certainty that the safeguards he's negotiated will work. It is not always that Poland will be governed by patriots who have God, the fatherland and honour in their hearts', said Janina Fetlińska.
Several PiS senators - Kazimierz Wiatr, Grzegorz Czelej, Stanisław Karczewski - calmly said they believed Mr Tusk's declarations and would vote in favour of the treaty.
The press asked Senator Bender how he could remain in a caucus that supported an act of 'high treason' - the Lisbon treaty. Mr Bender replied calmly that there was no forced unanimity of views in the PiS caucus.
José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, expressed his joy with Poland's decision yesterday. 'I'm very happy with the outcome of the vote, which shows that the treaty unites rather than divides, having brought about a compromise between the Polish cabinet, President and the main political parties', he said. 'I am convinced the other member states will follow the example of Poland and the six other states that have already ratified the treaty'.
The bill authorising the President to ratify the Lisbon treaty now goes to the President.
PiS senators who voted against the treaty:
Piotr Andrzejewski
Ryszard Bender
Jerzy Chróścikowski
Wiesław Dobkowski
Jan Dobrzyński
Janina Fetlińska
Stanisław Gogacz
Henryk Górski
Źródło: Gazeta Wyborcza
