President taps Poland's outgoing prime minister to form new government despite lack of a majority...

Poland’s president on Monday tapped outgoing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to try to form a new government even though his Law and Justice party lost its parliamentary majority in a national election three weeks ago.

The decision by President Andrzej Duda was likely to delay formation of a new government in Poland, the fifth most populous country in the European Union, because the opposition won enough votes in the Oct. 15 election to take control of Parliament and oust the nationalist and conservative government after eight years in power.

Duda, an ally of the current government, said Law and Justice should get the first chance to form a government since it remains the country’s biggest party. If Morawiecki fails, it will be up to Parliament to propose a prime minister and he will immediately endorse the candidate, the president added.