Poles vote in parliamentary elections today

(Patria) - With the war in neighboring Ukraine and the migrant crisis on the border, Poles are voting in parliamentary elections today.

The Polish electorate needs to elect 460 deputies to the lower house of parliament (Sejm) and 100 deputies to the upper house (Senate).

The ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party of Jaroslaw Kaczynski is predicted to remain the strongest party in the country, but will not be able to form a government on its own.

Therefore, there could be a government crisis in Poland, an important NATO member and crucial for continued assistance to Ukraine in defending against Russian aggression, Hina reports.

Opposing it is the Civic Coalition led by Donald Tusk (KO), which includes the liberal Civic Platform, the Greens, the Modern Party, and Polish Initiative.

A PiS government that would rely on the votes of Confederation (far-right) would likely be much less willing to help Kyiv, analysts believe.

A key player for the final election outcome will be the third party, the Third Way coalition (center-right), if it manages to cross the 8 percent vote threshold.

Otherwise, the opposition will not have enough votes to form a government.

/qpost/318697

Elections in Poland: Kaczynski vs. Tusk and the new right vs. the new left

By: Armin SijamićOn Sunday, Poles are going to parliamentary elections that are important in the Euro-Atlantic context, not only because of the results and consequences for this rising Central European power, but also because of the debate about the political right and left, or about the

Third Way firmly states that it will win the necessary number of votes, and one of its leaders, Szymon Holownia, said he is "absolutely not afraid" after a recent poll showed the coalition winning 7.6 percent.

PiS, which has repeatedly clashed with Brussels over judicial system reforms that infringe on judicial independence, presents these parliamentary elections as a choice between an opposition subservient to foreign interests, especially Germany, which is lenient towards migration, and a government that strongly defends Poland's sovereignty and its borders.

- Für Deutschland, he repeated those words very often - said PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski during the campaign, repeating his party's message that Tusk is a German puppet who "will not protect Poland from the influx of Ukrainian grain, because one needs courage to oppose Germany and the EU".

- They plan to systematically, cold-bloodedly, lead Poland out of the EU - stated Donald Tusk, leader of the largest opposition party Civic Coalition (KO), to his supporters.

He announced that he would unblock billions of euros from funds that the EU has frozen for Poland the day after the elections.

Poles are also voting on four referendum questions: the construction of a fence on the border with Belarus, the acceptance of migrants according to the EU agreement, raising the retirement age, and the privatization of state-owned companies.