Polish parliamentary elections, 13 October 2019

Summary:

Reports, analyses and information relating to the legislative elections held in Poland in October 2019.

Further information:

The 460 members of the lower house (Sejm) of the Polish Parliament are elected by open party-list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies. The Senate is elected using first-past-the-post voting in single-member districts.

Polls ahead of the election suggested a clear victory for the governing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party. This was confirmed by the actual votes, as this incumbent party won the election by a large margin with 43,59% (235 seats) against 27,40% obtained by the main opposition bloc, Civic Coalition (KO). The election also allowed left-wing parties back into Parliament following their exclusion in the previous election. The far-right Confederation party obtained 11 seats.

Official

OSCE: ODIHR: Polish Parliamentary Elections, 13 October 2019 https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/poland/426569

National Electoral Commission : Polish Parliamentary elections 2019 https://wybory.gov.pl/sejmsenat2019/en/wyniki/sejm/pl

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News

Politico, 16/09/2019: Poland’s PiS aims to regulate journalists after election https://www.politico.eu/article/polands-pis-law-and-justice-party-aims-to-regulate-journalists-media-after-the-election/

EurActiv, 16/09/2019: Poland’s ruling party plans to allow arrests of MPs and judges https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/polands-ruling-party-plans-to-allow-arrests-of-mps-and-judges/

Deutsche Welle, 18/09/2019: Poland's ruling party pledges pre-election minimum wage spike https://p.dw.com/p/3PlOY

Reuters, 07/10/2019: Poland's ruling right-wing party banks on child subsidy to win election https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1WM0MH

The Guardian, 08/10/2019: Poland’s drift to right divides young male and female voters https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/08/poland-election-drift-to-right-divides-young-male-and-female-voters

BBC News, 08/10/2019: Polish election: Leader targets gay rights as threat to society https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49904849

Reuters, 08/10/2019: Fighting for 'moral order', Polish nationalists eye election win https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1WN1KI

France24, 09/10/2019: Poland’s LGBT community targeted in run-up to elections https://www.france24.com/en/20191009-poland-s-lgbt-community-targeted-in-run-up-to-elections

The Guardian, 11/10/2019: ‘Cruder than the Communists’: Polish TV goes all out for rightwing vote https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/11/cruder-than-the-communists-polish-tv-goes-all-out-for-rightwing-vote

Reuters, 11/10/2019: Poland's Kaczynski steps out of shadows to mobilise rural vote https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKBN1WQ0OK

EurActiv, 14/10/2019: Conservatives sweep Polish vote, put EU rule of law to the test https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/conservatives-sweep-polish-vote-put-eu-rule-of-law-to-the-test/

Reuters, 14/10/2019: Poland's ruling nationalists win majority in parliament https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN1WT0FB

The Guardian, 14/10/2019: Poland's populist Law and Justice party win second term in power https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/14/poland-populist-law-and-justice-party-increases-majority

Deutsche Welle, 14/10/2019: Polish conservatives win vote, but lose Senate majority https://p.dw.com/p/3RGKZ

BBC News, 14/10/2019: Poland election: Ruling Law and Justice party win poll https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50037654

Euronews, 15/10/2019: Polish parliamentary election: Final results show PiS win narrow majority https://www.euronews.com/2019/10/13/poland-head-to-the-polls-with-conservative-ruling-law-justice-party-in-the-lead

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Commentary and Analysis

Wikipedia: 2019 Polish parliamentary election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Polish_parliamentary_election#Electoral_committees_with_candidates_only_for_the_Senate

IFES Election Guide: Election for Polish Sejm http://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3351/

Politico: Poll of the polls for Poland https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/poland/

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 09/07/2019: Can Poland’s opposition win this year’s election? https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/07/09/can-polands-opposition-win-this-years-election/

Robert Schuman Foundation: Analysis, 17/09/2019: Law and Justice (PiS) might be re-elected to office in Poland https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/eem/1839-law-and-justice-pis-might-be-re-elected-to-office-in-poland

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 26/09/2019: How LGBT rights became a key battleground in Poland’s election https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/09/26/how-lgbt-rights-have-become-a-key-battleground-in-polands-election/

Politico, 01/10/2019: In Poland, politics cuts across the dinner table https://www.politico.eu/article/politics-across-the-dinner-table-poland/

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 01/10/2019: Why is Poland’s Law and Justice party still so popular? https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/10/01/why-is-polands-law-and-justice-party-still-so-popular/

Social Europe, 07/10/2019: The parliamentary election in Poland—the future at stake https://www.socialeurope.eu/the-parliamentary-election-in-poland-the-future-at-stake

Politico, 07/10/2019: How Poland’s ruling party won the internet https://www.politico.eu/article/how-poland-ruling-party-pis-won-the-internet-kaczynski-law-and-justice-social-media/

The Washington Post, 08/10/2019: Poland’s Populist Turn https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/polands-populist-turn/2019/10/07/1450aae2-e920-11e9-a329-7378fbfa1b63_story.html

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 08/10/2019: Who will win the Polish election? https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/10/08/who-will-win-the-polish-election/

Euro|topics, October 2019: Elections in Poland: a walkover for the PiS? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/228289

Foreign Policy, 09/10/2019: In Poland’s Upcoming Election, the Law and Justice Party Is Demonizing the LGBT Community to Win https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/09/poland-pis-demonizing-lgbt-community-win-upcoming-elections/

The Guardian, 09/10/2019: The Guardian view on Poland’s election: church-sanctioned bigotry casts a shadow https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/09/the-guardian-view-on-polands-election-church-sanctioned-bigotry-casts-a-shadow

ECFR: Article, 09/10/2019: The Polish election by numbers https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_the_polish_election_by_numbers

The Guardian, 10/09/2019: Rightwing populists are on course to win Poland’s election. But resistance is stirring https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/10/poland-election-law-and-justice-lgbt

The New York Times, 10/10/2019: In Poland, Nationalism With a Progressive Touch Wins Voters https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/world/europe/poland-election-law-and-justice-party.html

The Irish Times, 10/10/2019: The Irish Times view on Poland’s election: stability – at a huge cost https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-poland-s-election-stability-at-a-huge-cost-1.4046732

Politico, 10/10/2019: How to watch the Polish election like a pro https://www.politico.eu/article/polish-election-watch-like-a-pro/

Deutsche Welle, 10/10/2019: How Sunday's election may impact Poland's economy https://p.dw.com/p/3QzpV

The Economist, 10/10/2019: In Poland, big handouts and gay-bashing win votes https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/10/10/in-poland-big-handouts-and-gay-bashing-win-votes

Politico, 10/10/2019: Poland’s economic miracle won’t last https://www.politico.eu/article/polands-economic-miracle-wont-last/

Spiegel Online International, 10/10/2019: Kaczynski Party in Control Ahead of Polish Vote https://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/poland-kaczynski-party-pis-in-control-ahead-of-polish-vote-a-1290462.html

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 11/10/2019: Polish election preview: Are Law and Justice heading for a majority? https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/10/11/polish-election-preview-are-law-and-justice-heading-for-a-majority/

Politico, 11/10/2019: Poland’s left sets sights on return to parliament https://www.politico.eu/article/polands-left-wing-party-wants-to-get-back-to-parliament-polish-election/

Chatham House: Expert Comment, 15/10/2019: What Europe Can Learn From the Law and Justice Party’s Victory in Poland https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/what-europe-can-learn-law-and-justice-party-s-victory-poland

LSE: EUROPP Blog, 16/10/2019: Polish election recap: A victory for Law and Justice, but the party may find governing more difficult than before https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2019/10/16/polish-election-recap-a-victory-for-law-and-justice-but-the-party-may-find-governing-more-difficult-than-before/

EUObserver, 16/10/2019: Polish election: analysing why PiS won https://euobserver.com/opinion/146269

Deutsche Welle, 16/10/2019: Poland solidifies its illiberal politics https://p.dw.com/p/3RP48

Balkan Insight, 17/10/2019: Why the Fight for Poland’s Soul Is Far From Over https://balkaninsight.com/2019/10/17/why-the-fight-for-polands-soul-is-far-from-over/

The Washington Post, 18/10/2019: Poland’s Parliament is now divided. What does this mean for the ruling Law and Justice party? https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/18/polands-parliament-is-now-divided-what-does-this-mean-ruling-law-justice-party/

The Guardian, 21/10/2019: Poland's rightwing populist win should be a wake-up call for democrats worldwide https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/21/poland-election-rightwing-populist-win

Foreign Affairs, 25/10/2019: Poland’s Right Won the Day, But Not the Future https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/poland/2019-10-25/polands-right-won-day-not-future

openDemocracy: Global Extremes, 27/10/2019: Whither Poland? After the 2019 parliamentary elections https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/global-extremes/whither-poland-after-2019-parliamentary-elections/

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