Poland’s Law and Justice party has secured a decisive win in the country’s parliamentary elections.
According to exit polls, the conservative opposition party has enough seats to govern alone, with an anticipated 39% of the vote.
Law and Justice’s eurosceptic leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has claimed victory, and the outgoing PM Ewa Kopacz of the centrist Civic Platform party, has admitted defeat.
Law and Justice party has strong support in Poland’s rural areas.
If the numbers suggested by the exit poll are confirmed, it will be the first time since democracy was restored in Poland in 1989 that a single party has won enough seats to govern alone.
Photo Reuters
“We will exert law but there will be no taking of revenge. There will be no squaring of personal accounts,” said Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
“There will be no kicking of those who have fallen through their own fault and very rightly so.”
Europe’s refugee crisis also proved to be a key topic of debate before the election. While the government has agreed to take in 7,000 refugees, opposition parties have spoken out against the move.
Last week, Jaroslaw Kaczynski was criticized for suggesting refugees could bring diseases and parasites to Poland.
The 66-year-old is not running as prime minister and has instead nominated Beata Szydlo, a relative unknown, as the party’s choice for the post.
However, some observers said Jaroslaw Kaczynski could take on the top job himself in the months to come.
The Law and Justice party is close to Poland’s powerful Roman Catholic Church and has promised increased benefits and tax breaks.
Civic Platform for its part sought closer ties with the EU.
Despite overseeing eight years of impressive economic growth it was beaten into second place and will become the main opposition party.
Only three other parties are projected to win enough votes to get seats in parliament: the Polish Peasants’ Party, and two new groups, a right-wing party led by rock star Pawel Kukiz and Modern Poland, a pro-business party.
Poles are voting in the country’s parliamentary elections, with the conservatives hoping to return to power after eight years in opposition.
Opinion polls in run-up to the election put the Law and Justice party, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski well ahead of Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz’s Civic Platform party.
Law and Justice party regained the presidency in May when Andrzej Duda won the poll.
The party is most strongly supported in rural areas and by those who close to Poland’s powerful Roman Catholic Church.
Civic Platform has been hit by disrepute, with a number of ministers caught up in an eavesdropping scandal last year.
On October 23, Deputy Justice Minister Monika Zbrojewska was fired after being charged with DUI.
Europe’s refugee crisis also proved to be a key topic of debate before the election. While the government has agreed to take in 7,000 refugees, opposition parties have spoken out against the move.
Last week, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 66, was criticized for suggesting refugees could bring diseases and parasites to Poland.
He is not running as prime minister, and has instead nominated Beata Szydlo, a relative unknown, as the party’s choice for the post.
However, some observers think Jaroslaw Kaczynski will take on the top job himself, if Law and Justice scores a convincing victory.
The result of the election is likely to be closely followed among Eurosceptic nations.
While Civic Platform sought close ties with the EU, one Law and Justice party member told Reuters they were keen for “a less bureaucratic, more cost-effective EU that does not seek deeper political integration”.
Poland’s Incumbent President Bronislaw Komorowski has conceded election defeat to challenger Andrzej Duda following the release of exit polls.
The exit polls suggested conservative Andrzej Duda had taken the run-off vote by 53% to 47%.
Andrzej Duda had edged Bronislaw Komorowski, who had been the favorite, in the first round but did not gain the 50% needed to win outright.
Poland’s president has limited powers, but is head of the armed forces and can veto new laws.
The exit polls had been delayed after a woman died at a polling station on May 24.
Official results are expected on May 25.
Bronislaw Komorowski told voters at a gathering of his supporters: “I respect your choice.
“I wish my challenger a successful presidency.”
Speaking to supporters in Warsaw, Andrzej Duda said: “Thank you President Bronislaw Komorowski for the rivalry of this presidential campaign and for your congratulations.
“Those who voted for me voted for change. Together we can change Poland.”
The victory will be a wake-up call to PM Ewa Kopacz, an ally of Bronislaw Komorowski, ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn.
Bronislaw Komorowski, 62, took office five years ago after his predecessor, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash.
He had been the favorite according to previous opinion polls and had been looking for a second term.
Andrzej Duda, 43, is from the right-wing opposition Law and Justice party, which is led by former President Lech Kaczynski’s twin brother, Jaroslaw.
In the first round Andrzej Duda attracted most support in the more conservative eastern regions of the country, near the border with Ukraine and Belarus.
Polish voters are going to the polls on May 24 to choose its new president in a run-off vote.
In the first round on May 10, neither Conservative challenger Andrzej Duda nor incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski gained the 50% needed to win outright.
Andrzej Duda edged Bronislaw Komorowski, who had been the favorite and is looking for a second term, by 34.7% to 33.7%.
Poland’s president has limited powers, but is head of the armed forces and can veto new laws.
Bronislaw Komorowski, 62, took office five years ago after his predecessor, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash.
The incumbent president is an independent allied with the centre-right Civic Platform, which has been in government since 2007.
Opinion polls before the first round had put him comfortably in the lead and Bronislaw Komorowski said the result was “a serious warning for the entire team in power”.
Andrezj Duda, 43, is from the right-wing opposition Law and Justice party, which is led by former President Lech Kaczynski’s twin brother, Jaroslaw.
He attracted most support in the more conservative eastern regions of the country, near the border with Ukraine and Belarus.
The presidential vote comes ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn.
Poles are voting to elect the country’s president for the next five years.
Poland’s presidential elections on May 10 have a colorful cast of candidates whose antics are providing most of the drama, because there is little suspense about the result: incumbent President Bronislaw Komorowski expected to easily win a second term in office.
Opinion polls put Bronislaw Komorowski in the lead, but if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote there will be a second round.
Bronislaw Komorowski took office in 2010 after his predecessor, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash.
The president has limited powers, but is head of the armed forces and can veto new laws.
Bronislaw Komorowski, 62, is an independent allied with the centre-right Civic Platform, which has been in government since 2007.
His main challenger is Andrzej Duda, from the right-wing opposition Law and Justice party, which is led by former President Lech Kaczynski’s twin brother, Jaroslaw.
Rock musician Pawel Kukiz looks likely to gather protest votes, but has trailed the leading pair in opinion polls. Another eight candidates are standing.
During a period of tension with Russia over the unrest in Ukraine, President Bronislaw Komorowski says he has promoted stability.
The presidential vote comes ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn, and may give pointers to Civic Platform’s chances of retaining power.
If no candidate wins more than 50%, a second round will be held on May 24.
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