Following last week’s purge of several top members of her government, Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz has appointed relative political newcomers to her cabinet.

They include former Olympic rower Adam Korol as sports minister and Marian Zembala, a celebrated heart surgeon who is to be the new health minister.

Ruling party Civic Platform has recently slumped in the polls with voters claiming it is out of touch.

It’ also suffered an unexpected defeat last month when its candidate in the presidential election, incumbant Bronislaw Komorowski, lost to the candidate backed by the main opposition Law and Justice party.