Rejoice, lovers of democracy and a prosperous Europe, because the winds of change are blowing over Poland! The results of the parliamentary elections revealed a resounding victory for the centrist pro-European opposition, led by Donald Tusk. This victory marks the end of eight long years of government by the nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS), led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
Donald Tusk, emblematic figure of the opposition, claimed victory for his centrist coalition as soon as the polls were announced. He said: “Poland won, democracy won, we drove them out of power… it’s the end of this bad period, it’s the end of PiS rule.” At 66, Donald Tusk has strong political credentials, having served as Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014 and President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019.
This victory for the centrist opposition is seen as a glimmer of hope for the strengthening of Poland’s relations with the European Union. Donald Tusk promised to restore harmonious relations with the EU and to release European funds frozen following disputes with the PiS government.
But Tusk’s ambitions don’t stop there. He also wants to liberalize the right to abortion, a subject that deeply divides the country. While the PiS government emphasizes Catholic values and restricts access to abortion, Tusk intends to change mentalities and defend the right of women to control their bodies.
To form a coalition government, the different opposition parties will have to find common ground. But already, they are showing their desire to work together for the good of the country. “We will probably wait around twelve hours for the official results (…), we will then sit down to discuss and we will certainly reach an agreement,” assures Donald Tusk.
On the PiS side, we see a relative defeat despite maintaining a significant presence in Parliament with 200 seats. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the party’s leader, praised the relative success of his movement but also affirmed his determination not to let Poland be betrayed, whether PiS is in power or in opposition.
These elections were marked by a historically high participation rate, reaching nearly 73%. Polish voters are expressing their frustration with the current government and demanding change. Economic concerns are at the forefront, with a call for more dynamic development and more prudent management of public finances.
These parliamentary elections in Poland have undoubtedly attracted interest and attention. The change of government and the promises of reforms carried by the centrist pro-European opposition offer new hope for the country. It remains to be seen how these promises will materialize and what Poland’s future trajectory will be on the European scene.