FILE PHOTO 23FEB00 - Polish Finance Minister Leszek Balcerowicz (pictured) looks set to lead his Freedom Union party out of the Solidarity-led coalition government May 28, plunging Poland deeper into political turmoil. Despite Solidarity's last-minute proposal of a leading monetary policy official to replace Jerzy Buzek as prime minister the liberal Freedom Union appears ready to vote to leave the 30-month centre-right government. The Freedom Union meeting starts at 0900 GMT. Officials have given little indication of how long they expect it to last. The vote will end an often unhappy partnership, in which the Freedom Union and Solidarity warred over the pace of the painful reforms needed to modernise Polish society and communist-era industry and to ready the country for European Union membership.

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