In the early 21st century, observers of Polish politics recall the anticipated coalition of POPiS led by Jan Rokita before the long-standing rivalry between PO (now KO) and PiS heated up in 2005. This coalition seemed like the only pragmatic solution to prevent the radical Samoobrona from gaining power, but as the election campaign unfolded, the narrative shifted dramatically. PiS painted PO as the 'despicable liberals' who were harming the Polish people, while PO began to rephrase PiS as 'Populism and Socialism.' The animosity that brewed during the parliamentary campaign was exacerbated by personal attacks, including an infamous controversy surrounding Donald Tusk’s family, which made any coalition discussions implausible and led PiS to seek support from its rivals instead of former partners.