Political situation of Poland after the elections in 2005

Agnieszka Krajewska

am.krajewska@op.pl

Results of parliamentary elections September 2005

Parties that entered the Assembly:• Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) 26,99%, 155 seats

• Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) 24,14%, 133 seats

• Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland (Samoobrona RP) 11,41%, 56 seats

• Democratic Left Alliance (Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej SLD) 11,31%, 55 seats

• League of Polish Families (Liga Polskich Rodzin) 7,97%, 34 seats

• Polish Peasant Party (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe, PSL) 6,96%, 25 mandatów

• German Minority Electoral Committee (Komitet Wyborczy Mniejszość Niemiecka)

0,29%, 2 mandaty

Parties that not entered the Assembly:

• Social Democracy of Poland (Socjaldemokracja Polska, SDPL) - 3.9%

• Democratic Party (Partia Demokratyczna) - 2.5%• Janusz Korwin-Mikke Platform (Platforma

Janusza Korwin-Mikke, PJKM) -1.6%• Patriotic Movement (Ruch Patriotyczny) -1.1%• Polish Labour Party (Polska Partia Pracy, PPP) -

0.8%

(TURNAUT in Election to the Assembly 40.6 %)

Assembly (Sejm) composition

• PiS

• PO

• Samoobrona

• SLD

• LPR

• PSL

• German minority

Results of presidential elections

October 2005

First round (%)• Donald Franciszek Tusk 36,33 • Lech Aleksander Kaczyński 33,10 • Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper 15,11 • Marek Stefan Borowski 10,33 • Jarosław Kalinowski 1,80 • Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke 1,43 • Henryka Teodora Bochniarz 1,26 • Liwiusz Marian Ilasz 0,21 • Stanisław Tymiński 0,16 • Leszek Henryk Bubel 0,13 • Jan Pyszko 0,07• Adam Andrzej Słomka 0,06( TURNAUT – 49,74 )

Presidential campaign

Candidates` programsKaczyński • IV Republic of Poland• social solidarity• bringing those who were

responsible for communist crimes to justice

• fighting corruption • security in economy• safety for families• combining modernization

with tradition and remembering the teachings of Pope John Paul II

Tusk• looking forward - not

backward • fiscal discipline • lower cost of work• fighting unemployment• more transparent legislative

procedures to create new jobs

• support polish entrepreneurs• emphasis on education • strong economical position

of Poland • pro rapid EU integration and

accomplished free market

Second round (turnout 51%)

Failed coalition talks between Law and Justice (PIS) and

Civic Platform (PO)PiS forms a minority government, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz as the Prime MinisterPO - opposition

5 May 2006 - coalition government

The minority government of Law and Justice party forms a coalition deal with smaller Euro-sceptic and anti-reform parties : Samoobrona and LPR

A. Lepper – Ministry of agriculture

R. Giertych – Ministry of education

In July 2006 Marcinkiewicz tenders his resignation, Jarosław Kaczyński forms a new government and is sworn-in on 14 July, finally becoming prime minister.

• President Lech Kaczynski accepted Marcinkiewicz's resignation at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on 10 July 2006

• President Lech Kaczynski shakes hands with his twin brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski after nominating him as the new Polish prime minister on 10 July 2006

Polish public opinion according to CBOS

Public opinion research center http://www.cbos.pl

THE POLES ABOUT THE PIS - SELF-DEFENCE - LPRGOVERNMENT COALITION ( May 2006)

ATTITDE TO THE GOVERNMENTOF JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI

ATTITUDE TO THE DEMOCRACY (April 2006)

Still more people believe that Poland is closer to a non-democratic system than to a democratic one and that the transformation of the Polish political system is not particularly advanced1.

1. Good an bad sides of Polish democracy, CBOS report, April 2006, http://www.cbos.pl

The principal problem of democracy in Poland it's not the deficit of „democratic potential” of polish society, but a lack of the elites that would be able to evaluate the needs of people and to act in favour of potential modernization on the base of these needs 2.

2. Mira Marody, La question de la democratie en Pologne, „La Pologne”, Revue Pouvoirs, N 118, Seuil, 2006.

Bibliography:

• „La Pologne”, Revue Pouvoirs, N 118, Seuil, 2006.

• http://www.cbos.pl

• http://www.platforma.org

• http://www.tvp.pl

• http://pl.wikipedia.org

• http://www.wybory2005.pkw.gov.pl