The party was formed in 2001 as a split from Solidarity Electoral Action ( AWS ) , under the leadership of Andrzej Olechowski and Maciej Płażyński , with Donald Tusk of the Freedom Union ( UW ) . In the 2001 general election , PO emerged as the largest opposition party , behind the ruling centre-left party Democratic Left Alliance ( SLD ) . PO remained the second-largest party at the 2005 general election , but this time behind the national-conservative party Law and Justice ( PiS ) . In 2007 , Civic Platform overtook PiS , now established as the dominant parties , and formed a coalition government with the Polish People 's Party . Following the Smolensk disaster of April 2010 , Bronisław Komorowski became the first President from PO in the 2010 presidential election
Smolensk disaster of April 2010
2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
Civic Platform