Mr Olechowski will not compete in this year's election, and will let Mr Plazynski head Platform in parliament.

ECONOMIST: Poland

At first Mr Olechowski hesitated to launch a new party.

ECONOMIST: Poland

Platform is the brainchild of Andrzej Olechowski, a former foreign minister who ran a good second, without any party support, to the incumbent Social Democrat, Aleksander Kwasniewski, in last year's presidential election.

ECONOMIST: Poland