The Labour Union and Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) formed a coalition prior to the 2001 parliamentary elections.

Witkowski became one of the joint leaders of the new grouping alongside Wojciech Olejniczak of SLD, Janusz Onyszkiewicz of PD, Marek Borowski of SdPl and former President Kwaśniewski.

2 on the party list, he did not manage to gain enough votes for election to the Sejm (lower chamber of parliament).

He did not submit 100,000 eligible signatures until after the election day change, which resulted in the electoral commission denying his application.

[2] In the 28th of June vote he received 27,290 ballots (0.14% nationwide), leaving him second-to-last, with just Mirosław Piotrowski getting 6 thousand fewer.