By Sean Mueck
Polish citizens in Warsaw, Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, and numerous other major cities waited in cues that stretched long into the night in order to cast their ballots in the 2023 Parliamentary Elections last month. The European Union’s fifth-largest nation boasted record voter turnout when the far-right Law and Justice Party (PiS) was denied a third term after a historic eight years in power.
Civic Coalition leader Donald Tusk claimed victory after opposition parties vowing to restore democratic standards won 54% of the vote, according to polling results released last month. The Law and Justice Party (PiS) gained 35.38% of votes, the Civic Coalition (KO) gained 30.7%, the Third Way tied with the Polish People’s Party (PSL) and Polska 2050 at 14.4%, The Left (Lewica) gained 8.61%, and Konfederacja gained 7.16%.
Despite the Jarosław Kaczyński-led Law and Justice Party gaining the most votes out of any party, they failed to hold their position of power in parliament after losing the majority. The Donald Tusk-led Civic Coalition, Szymon Hołownia-led Third Way, and the Wlodzimierz Czarzasty and Robert Biedroń-led New Left party form part of the powerful opposition groups opposing the increasingly authoritarian Law and Justice party.
The opposition in total won 248 seats in the lower house of the parliament (Sejm), along with 66 out of the 100 seats in the upper chamber (Senat). This gives the grouping of parties strong control over both branches of parliament.
The vastly important victory has been credited as possible because of the historic voter turnout recorded. Voter turnout was recorded at 74.7%, making it the highest turnout by beating the 63% turnout of the 1989 election, which saw the collapse of the Soviet-backed communist Polish People’s Republic (PRL).
The divide between rural and urban voting runs deep in Polish society. Rural voters still vote heavily in favor of right-leaning parties that promise to halt the sale of imported Ukrainian grain and to prioritize Polish farmers and their interests first. Voters in urban settings typically vote in favor of center-left-leaning parties that vow to reinstate democratic standards found in other European Union countries.
Donald Tusk has urged Polish President Andrzej Duda to allow a quick formation of the new centrist government. Polish citizens are still waiting to see the formation of a new government after eight years.
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