Poland's ruling conservatives said on Saturday they would file a motion to dissolve parliament, their most serious threat yet to bring forward elections they hope could strengthen their grip on power.
Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said his month-old power-sharing pact with fringe groups had been unreliable and that Poles needed to vote again to decide who runs the biggest post-communist European Union member.
To dissolve parliament, Law and Justice needs a two-thirds majority -- meaning support from the second largest party, the pro-business Civic Platform, and at least one other group.
"We will submit this motion (to dissolve parliament) shortly so that elections could take place before the Pope's visit to Poland (on May 25-28)," Kaczynski told his party convention.
The conservatives won power last year pledging to protect the poor, weed out corruption and what they call a network of vested interests that has ruled since communism collapsed.
They already wield considerable power, controlling the government, key parliamentary posts and the presidential palace.
But they lack a parliamentary majority and have to flex their muscle to pass legislation or engage in rows with their unruly partners who are hostile to the EU and market reforms.
"If they play this right, Law and Justice may benefit from a new election but the most likely scenario is another hung parliament and more tough coalition talks," said Marek Migalski, political analyst at Slaski University in Katowice.
Law and Justice's all-or-nothing style has also pushed it into battles against independent institutions such as the media, top judges and banks -- which critics say reveals the conservatives' appetite for power and disregard for democracy.
"We want to strengthen democracy. When conflicts cannot be solved in parliament they should be solved by citizens," said Kaczynski, whose twin brother Lech is Poland's president.
"I call on (Civic Platform leader) Donald Tusk to support a motion by Law and Justice for parliament to dissolve itself."
In response, Civic Platform deputy Bronislaw Komorowski said: "The issue is too serious to comment on before our leaders meet and make a decision. If after these elections there will be another bad parliament then it would not make any sense."
Recent opinion polls show support for the conservatives and their government inching lower after their shift to nationalist rhetoric and constant bickering with fringe allies, who surveys show may be ejected from parliament if elections were held now.
"I will absolutely not support this motion. The government enjoys support, we have a parliamentary majority, so why all the manipulation?" Andrzej Lepper, head of far-left Self-Defence party in the power-sharing pact, told public television.
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