FILE - In this Tuesday, April 10, 2018 file photo, leader of the Law and Justice ruling party Jaroslaw Kaczynski speaks in front of the Presidential Palace during the ceremonies commemorating the eighth anniversary of the presidential plane crash near Smolensk that killed his brother Lech Kaczynski, the first lady and many other top political and military leaders, in Warsaw, Poland. Aides to Poland’s long-hospitalized ruling party leader said Wednesday May 23, 2018, Jaroslaw Kaczynski keeps full control of the party and that no decisions are taken without him. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)
Republished May 23, 2018 - 11:07 AM
Original Publication Date May 23, 2018 - 7:16 AM
WARSAW, Poland - Aides to the hospitalized leader of Poland's right-wing ruling party say Jaroslaw Kaczynski has retained full control and no decisions are made without him.
The 68-year-old Kaczynski is Poland's most powerful politician, shaping policies from the back seat even though he doesn't hold elected office.
Kaczynski has been in the hospital since early May with a knee problem. His noticeable absence has led to speculation about a weakening of his leadership and Law and Justice party in-fighting over succession.
His closest aide, Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski, said Wednesday that Kaczynski is not planning to retire from politics and expects to be back at work full-time soon.
Law and Justice spokeswoman Beata Mazurek says Kaczynski is "doing well and nothing is done without him knowing it."
News from © The Associated Press, 2018