Final spurt in the election campaign: Will the right-wing populist PiS remain in power or can the opposition around Donald Tusk win? The news ticker for the Polish election.
- Parliamentary election on Sunday: 29 million citizens can cast their votes in the Polish election
- Close race: PiS wants to stay in power – Tusk wants to bring Poland closer to Brussels again
- Controversial referendum: PiS causes dissatisfaction with four questions
Warsaw – In Poland, around 29 million citizens are called to vote for a new parliament on Sunday. There are 460 seats in the Sejm (lower house) and 100 in the Senate (upper house) up for election. According to surveys, the national conservative ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) is likely to remain the strongest force, but will miss an absolute majority.
To form a government, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki would then have to rely on the ultra-right Konfederacja, which repeatedly attacks the PiS from the right, has so far ruled out a coalition and, among other things, is calling for an end to aid to Ukraine. So far, Warsaw has been one of Kiev’s most important allies. To achieve an absolute majority, 231 of the 460 parliamentary seats are required.
PiS power struggle with the EU – Tusk wants to bring Poland closer to Brussels again
In addition, the PiS government has been waging a power struggle with the EU for years, primarily over its judicial reform, which critics condemn as an attack on the rule of law and democracy. The election therefore also decides whether the confrontation course against Brussels continues or not. The PiS election campaign was also strongly influenced by anti-German tones. Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński had also repeatedly verbally attacked opposition leader Donald Tusk, calling him an “enemy of the nation”. The PiS election campaign was overshadowed by several scandals.
According to the surveys, in second place, close behind the PiS, is the liberal-conservative Citizens’ Coalition (KO) of former Prime Minister Donald Tusk. If she wins the election, she could form a coalition with the left-wing Lewica alliance and the Christian-conservative Third Way. Tusk calls, among other things, for a renewed rapprochement with the EU and a liberalization of abortion rights.
PiS causes discontent with referendum in Poland
On Sunday, Parliament will also vote on a referendum. Voters are asked to answer “yes” or “no” to four questions on different topics. The questions relate to the privatization of state-owned companies, raising the retirement age, strengthening the border with Poland’s neighboring country Belarus and migration in Europe.
- Do you support the sale of state assets to foreign companies, which leads to the loss of Polish control over strategic economic sectors?
- Do you support increasing the retirement age, including restoring the increased retirement age to 67 for men and women?
Do you support the removal of the barrier on the border between the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Belarus?
- Do you support the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa under the mandatory admission mechanism imposed by the European bureaucracy?
- Source: TVP World
The opposition criticizes the PiS party for the suggestively worded questions. The government is accused of wanting, among other things, to stir up anti-migrant sentiment in order to get more votes on election day. Donald Tusk has called for a boycott of the referendum and accused PiS of “illegal election campaigns using our tax money”. While each party has 40 million złoty (approx. 8.8 million euros) at its disposal in the election campaign, there is no spending limit for the referendum, reports Table Media.
Polling stations in Poland open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Then the first forecasts are expected. (lrg/dpa/afp)
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