Opinion polls show that the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) will get the most votes, but may struggle to form a governing coalition, leaving the opposition led by former European Council president Donald Tusk with a chance.
A victory for PiS could raise tensions with the EU and Ukraine, as well as worry activists concerned about the future of media freedoms, LGBTIQ, women’s and migrant rights.
More than 31 thousand polling stations across the country opened at 7 a.m. local time (8 a.m. Lithuanian time) and will be open until 9 p.m. local (22:00 Lithuanian) time. Immediately after that, the results of polls are expected, the error of which is 2 percentage points.
About 29 million people have the right to vote. people, including more than half a million representatives of a large diaspora registered abroad. More than 400 polling stations operate abroad.
Elections are held for the 460-seat lower house of parliament, the Seimas, and the 100-seat upper house of parliament, the Senate.
6,655 candidates, including 2,949 women, are applying for the Seimas, and 360 candidates, including 69 women, for the Senate.
To enter the parliament, parties must exceed 5%. threshold of votes, 8% is set for alliances. threshold
The future at stake?
Jaroslaw Kaczyński, the leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, is following the “authoritarian script” of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Wojciech Sadurski, a professor at the University of Sydney who specializes in Central European constitutionalism, told the British publication The Guardian.
The academic drew attention to the fact that the ruling party “captured the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, subjugated ordinary judges of lower instances to political will (with mixed success, it should be added), turned public media into a vulgar propaganda machine, subjugated many (yet not all) commercial media to the party’s control measures” and “created a network of right-wing non-governmental organizations as a kind of alternative civil society”.
Photo by Imago/Scanpix/Members of the Polish Seimas. In the center – Jaroslaw Kaczynski
According to the professor, at stake in today’s election are “a few independent judges and a handful of independent prosecutors,” as well as “the few remaining independent commercial media outlets. He also said that the ombudsman’s office, academic freedoms and critical non-governmental organizations are at risk.
“It is possible that the fourth time,” warned Sadurskis, “there will be no other opportunity for a peaceful and civil transition.”
The opposition is hoping for its chance
The ruling PiS in this 38 mln. has loyal supporters in a populous state who appreciate its defense of Catholic traditions and social benefits for pensioners and families with children.
However, since the previous elections in 2019, when the party collected almost 44 percent. votes, support for the party has declined due to high inflation, accusations of cronyism and disagreements with European allies.
In recent weeks, polls have promised PiS more than 30 percent. votes and remains the most popular party, but is in danger of losing its majority in parliament.
Reuters/Scanpix/Confederation party leader Krzysztof Bosak
The most likely coalition partner for PiS would be the far-right Confederacy party, which has called for an end to large-scale Polish aid to Moscow-attacked Ukraine and has campaigned strongly against migrants.
However, both the Confederation and PiS have publicly ruled out such an alliance, and some analysts say it is unlikely due to ongoing tensions between the two parties.
Liberals hope that even if Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO) finishes second, it will have enough votes to form a government with two smaller potential allies.
Waiting for change and the economy
Information technology specialist Tomasz Druzynskis, who voted in Warsaw, said he hoped that changes were possible.
“I believe in that and I think this is the first opportunity in eight years to change something.” And I hope that this change will happen,” he said.
“It’s time for a change,” Ewa Bankowska, a 43-year-old financial worker, told AFP as she voted in Halinów, a town near Warsaw.
“I am concerned about the economy. I would like us to develop and for the government to stop spending money it doesn’t have,” she said.
AFP/Scanpix/Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki
But Dorota Zbig, a 57-year-old nurse, said the past few years of PiS rule “have been very good for me and my family, so I hope that everyone, including young people, will vote wisely.”
Jan Molak, an 80-year-old supporter of the ruling party, thanked it for what he said was a fairer economic system and the development boom of recent years.
D. Tuskas: This is the most important day in the history of our democracy since 1989.
“The situation is getting better,” he said after casting his vote in Warsaw.
Others see economic threats posed by PiS rule and believe that high social spending has contributed to rising inflation.
Relations with the EU and the referendum
PiS has vowed to push ahead with controversial reforms to the judiciary, which it says are aimed at rooting out corruption, but which the EU sees as damaging to democracy.
Billions of euros in EU funding have been suspended as a result of the dispute.
KO, the Third Way and the New Left promised in their campaigns to improve the rule of law and relations with the EU and other allies if they succeeded in gaining power.
During his last rally before the election day of silence, Tusk told supporters in Pruškuve that PiS had “secret plans” to leave the EU and said they were “leading the country down the wrong path”.
AFP/Scanpix photo/Donald Tusk
“This is the most important day in the history of our democracy since 1989,” D. Tuskas said at the rally.
“We will also vote for Poland to remain in the European Union. Poland is the heart of Europe,” he added.
I want a better Poland than the one we have now.
At the time, PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Friday during the party’s last big rally in Sandomierz: “We have transferred part of our powers to the EU, but now that is enough, nothing more. We are in the EU and we want to stay in it, but in the EU of sovereign countries.”
PiS is holding a referendum on the same day on questions about migrants, including EU migration reform, the retirement age and the economy. The opposition called on people to boycott the plebiscite.
In one polling station on the southern outskirts of Warsaw, people could be seen refusing to take part in the referendum and putting only two ballots into the ballot boxes. Voters were offered three ballots: one for the Seimas elections, one for the Senate and one for the referendum.
AFP/Scanpix/Voters in Warsaw
On Friday, the Foreign Ministry fired its spokesman after he said that not all votes cast abroad could be counted by the deadline and would therefore be declared invalid. The ministry said he was fired for “spreading false information”.
“It May Be Too Late”
Many voters are irritated by the divisiveness, the heated tone of the campaign and the polarized political scene.
Marcin Zaborowski, an expert at the Globsec analytical center, said that the ruling party took a colder stance towards Ukraine in order to get nationalist votes.
“I want a better Poland than the one we have now.” I want my children to live in a free, democratic and smiling country,” said Beata Myszkiewicz, a 53-year-old self-employed woman.
“I don’t want people to shine at each other because they have different political opinions. I think this election is the most important and everyone should go vote,” she said.
Ukraine and its Western allies are also watching carefully to see if Poland follows the example of Slovakia, which last month elected a government promising to be more skeptical about sending aid to Kyiv.
Poland has become one of Ukraine’s main supporters in the EU and NATO and has taken in a million Ukrainian refugees, but many Poles feel growing fatigue.
The government has also clashed with Ukraine over a grain import ban that authorities say is aimed at protecting Polish farmers.
Marcin Zaborowski, an expert at the Globsec analytical center, said that the ruling party took a colder stance towards Ukraine in order to get nationalist votes.
“After the election, it may be too late to go back because the damage will have already been done,” he said.
window.fbAsyncInit = function() {
FB.init({
appId: ‘117218911630016’,
version: ‘v2.10’,
status: true,
cookie: false,
xfbml: true
});
};
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) {
return;
}
js = d.createElement(s);
js.id = id;
js.src = “https://connect.facebook.net/lt_LT/sdk.js”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
#Poland #holds #biggest #election #fall #communism #Time #change
Top issues for young voters 2024
Untry where they can thrive,” said a young mother after voting.
As Poland navigates its political landscape, the results of this election will have significant implications for its future, especially regarding EU relations, economic policies, and social issues. With rising inflation and concerns over social spending, the electorate appears divided between those who support the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) for its economic policies and those seeking change, hoping for more liberal governance with a better relationship with the EU.
Discussions around the potential coalition government continue, with the far-right Confederation party and PiS both indicating reluctance to join forces, despite shared ideologies on specific issues like immigration. Key opposition figures, like Donald Tusk, are calling for unity among progressive forces to shift away from PiS rule, which they accuse of undermining democratic institutions.
As citizens await the election results, the mood is a mix of hope for reform and apprehension about the future direction of Poland. Many express a desire for stability and progression, emphasizing the importance of voter turnout and engagement in shaping the nation’s path forward.
