Political change in Poland could open the way for the EU to release billions of Euros of funding
The right-wing Law and Justice Party, which has been ruling the government continuously for eight years, has suffered a major setback in Poland's parliamentary elections. Because they are facing defeat. If we talk about vote percentage, it has got a maximum of 36 per cent votes and its potential ally far right Confederation has got 7 per cent votes, but the opposition alliance of three parties i.e. Civil Coalition has got 53 per cent votes.
Poland's current parliament has 460 seats and 231 seats are required for a majority. There is so much polarisation in Polish politics right now that this time the voter turnout was more than 74 per cent, which is the highest since 1919. In the year 1989, only 63 per cent of votes were cast in the elections to remove the communist rule. The most influential issues in Poland's elections include the government's bias towards power in the media and judiciary, divisions in families and society due to right-wing narrow-mindedness, and problems arising from the withholding of financial allocations by the European Union due to government policies.
If we talk about challenges, the present government has fully supported Ukraine in the war, but relations have also deteriorated due to allowing Ukrainian grain to enter the Polish market. This will be a big issue for the next government. Tension on the Belarus border is also a big challenge.
At present, the biggest relief has been given to the European Union, against which the outgoing government has been opening a front from time to time.
Within thirty days of the election, the President has to call a session of Parliament and appoint the Prime Minister. Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, has named Donald Tusk, the opposition leader, and Mateusz Morawiecki, the current prime minister, as candidates for prime minister in the new government.
But Donald Tusk has been a Prime Minister before as a potential Prime Minister. He has also been the head of the European Council. The victory of his coalition and his becoming Prime Minister is a relief for the liberal camp of Europe, which has been looking confused and agenda-less in recent years. Tusk, who was Polish prime minister between 2007 and 2014 and then became president of the European Council for five years, declared his victory within minutes of voting closing on Sunday based on an exit poll. “This is the end of bad times, this is the end of the PiS regime,” he said.
Will there be a big change in this direction socially, politically and culturally?
It is now clear that Poland's voters have decided that they want a change in the direction of the country, not only politically, but also socially and culturally.
At stake in the election were the health of the country's constitutional system, its legal stance on LGBTQ+ rights and abortion, and the country's foreign alliances as Ukraine has been a key ally after Russia launched a full-scale invasion. If we talk about public sentiments, LGBTQ+ rights activist 'Bart Staszewski' called it the end of a "nightmare" for himself as a gay man and for others. “This is the beginning of reclaiming our country. The fight is ahead but now we are breathing fresh air today.” Environmental activist 'Dominika Lasota' was emotional with relief and said, "We have our own future."
Law and Justice have dismantled checks and balances to gain greater control over state institutions, including courts, public media, and the electoral process.
The election results show a change for the better in relations with the European Union. Political change in Poland could open the way for the EU to release billions of euros of funding into what the EU sees as democratic erosion. The fate of Poland's relations with Ukraine was also at stake. Which will now have to draw a clear policy and line. Now the referendum on immigration may flop.A controversial referendum on migration, retirement age and other issues was held simultaneously with the election, in which the government wanted people to vote to accept thousands of migrants as part of an EU migration plan.
Regarding this, some government opponents had called on voters to boycott the referendum, saying that it was an attempt by the government to motivate its supporters. Many voters were seen refusing to participate in the referendum and exit polls estimated participation at 40%, which meant the results would not be legally binding. More or less, the far-reaching effects of this election result are now in the womb of the future.
(The writer is a senior journalist; views are personal)
