Law and Justice (PiS) MEP Marek Migalski has criticized his party leader and the new party line in an open letter, of over 2,500 words, which he published on his blog.

In the open letter, addressed to PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, Mr Migalski primarily talks about the public perception of a change in Mr Kaczyński's personality following his July 4 presidential election loss.

“I hugely admire and respect you, but I cannot ignore the fact that you are both our [the party's] greatest asset and our biggest liability,” Mr Migalski wrote.

“We cannot survive without you, but with you we cannot win.”

Mr Migalski said the party appears to be focused only on the April 10 Smolensk air disaster, in which Mr Kaczyński's twin, former President Lech Kaczyński, and 95 other top officials died, and that other issues the party should be dealing with are going unnoticed.

The MEP also called for a return to the politics which characterized the run-up to the presidential elections. At that time Mr Kaczyński appeared calm and collected, while today he is easily agitated and readily criticizes, or even verbally abuses his opposition – politicians and media personalities alike.

In many ways this very public criticism represents a return to how the current party leader was viewed prior to the Smolensk disaster.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament member said that Poland deserves better than the government it currently has.

“Donald Tusk's cabinet is weak, incompetent, sluggish, stagnant and slothful,” Mr Migalski wrote.

But according to Mr Migalski this is partly so because the government doesn't have a real opposition to test it, adding that this was largely Mr Kaczyński's fault.

Reactions from within the party to the open letter have been varied.

According to Gazeta Wyborcza, PiS parliamentary club leader Mariusz Błaszczak said Mr Migalski has said nothing new and is incorrect in his views.

Ryszard Czarnecki, also of PiS, told the newspaper that Mr Migalski was not a team player.

Meanwhile, one PiS politician quoted by Gazeta Wyborcza and named only as a “liberal” within the party, said that Mr Migalski is largely correct in his observations.