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2023 Polish parliamentary election

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2023 Polish parliamentary election
Poland
← 2019 15 October 2023
Sejm

All 460 seats in the Sejm
231 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Current seats
ZP Jarosław Kaczyński 184
KO 156
Lewica 41
TD 62
Confederation 37
KWMN Ryszard Galla 1
Election results by constituencies
Senate

All 100 seats in the Senate
51 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Current seats
ZP Jarosław Kaczyński 46
KO Donald Tusk 41[a]
TD 5[b]
Lewica 1
Incumbent Prime Minister
Mateusz Morawiecki
PiS

Parliamentary elections were held in Poland on 15 October 2023 to elect members of the Sejm and Senate.[1] Alongside the elections, a referendum containing four questions, namely concerning European Union immigration policy, was held.[2] However, many opposition leaders including Donald Tusk & Szymon Hołownia, the leaders of the Civic Coalition and Third Way respectively, have stated that the referendum is 'another step towards the final death of direct democracy'[3] and is propaganda material in favour of the incumbent Law and Justice party, cementing its' status as a soft-Eurosceptic populist faction.[4]

The previous election in 2019 resulted in the re-election of a majority Law and Justice (PiS) government, albeit without a majority in the Senate. PiS will try to win a record third term.

Background

2019 Polish parliamentary election

The 2019 parliamentary election saw a record high turnout, with over 60% of registered electors participating. It also saw the centre-left, in the form of Lewica (Lewica) entering the Sejm after four years on the outside looking in. It also saw the far-right, united under the Konfederacja (Kon) banner, enter one of the two chambers of parliament for the first time since the 2005 elections.[5].

Right-wing parties, coalesced around the ruling national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) within the United Right (ZP) alliance, won the highest percentage of votes ever received since the complete return to democracy in 1991, maintaining their majority in the Sejm, but losing it in the Senate. The PiS party president, Jarosław Kaczyński, thus saw his position as the country’s strongman strengthened, despite occupying no governmental position. This result saw the second reelection of a majority government since the fall of the Eastern Bloc. Despite not defeating PiS, the main opposition party, the liberal Civic Platform (PO), itself within the Civic Coalition (KO) alliance, progressed in the senate, though without winning a majority of seats on its own. The opposition altogether did win a majority of seats in the senate, thanks to Lewica, the Polish Coalition (PSL) and independent candidates’ gains.[5][6]

One month after the vote, the incumbent Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, formed his second government. Its composition showed the so called "moderate" right strengthened, which Morawiecki was part of, alongside a weakening of the "radical" right, lead by the Justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro. This strategy was mainly to seduce the more moderate electorate for the 2020 Polish presidential election.[7] Morawiecki’s government received the Sejm’s confidence on 19 November with 237 votes for, 214 against and three abstentions. [8][9].

2020 presidential election

The 2020 presidential election saw the reelection of incumbent president Andrzej Duda, himself a member of Law and Justice. Originally planned in May, the elections were very affected by the then ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The government’s proposal to maintain the election in May but only through postal votes launched a strong polemic, with the opposition denouncing the unequal campaigning capacities of the incumbent president compared to other candidates within the context of the lockdown and quarantine measures. The election was then postponed to late June following a compromise within the ruling coalition and the opposition’s approval, partly thanks to the latter’s control of the Senate.[10]

Despite the pandemic, both rounds of voting saw higher turnouts, with Duda facing the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, a member of Civic Platform. The ballotage saw Duda beat Trzaskowski, with the former gathering 51% of the votes and the latter gathering 49%. These results were the most closely fought presidential elections since the return of democracy.[11]

Duda’s victory allows PiS take advantage from his presidential veto in case of an opposition victory in the legislative elections, with the opposition needing a three fifths majority, which currently amounts to 276, to override one.[12].

Electoral system

The President of Poland set the election day to be Sunday, 15 October 2023.[13] This date is consistent with requirements posed in Article 98 Section 2 of the Polish Constitution, whereby the election is to take place within the last 30 days of the current term of Parliament (ending 11 November 2023). The vote ought to be held on a non-working day, also public holidays. Other possible dates included: 22 October, 29 October, 1 November, 5 November and 11 November.[14]

The process of election for the Sejm is through party-list proportional representation via the D'Hondt method in multi-seat constituencies,[15] with a 5% threshold for single party (KW) and citizen committees (KWW) and 8% threshold for coalitions (KKW). National minority committes, such as the German minority, are waived from the requirement of accomplishing a nation-wide 5% result, and only need to do so in their electoral constituency, in this specific case Opole.

Senators are elected by first-past-the-post method in 100 constituencies. Most of the opposition (Civic Coalition, New Left and Third Way) signed a so-called senate pact, under which the parties agreed to enter one commonly accepted candidate in each district.[16] This strategy has previously granted them 51 seats despite losing the Sejm.[17]

Lists

Electoral committees registered in all constituencies

List Ideology Political Position Leader(s) Parliamentary leader(s) 2019 result Current number of seats Candidates
Votes (%) Seats in Sejm Sejm (list) Senate (list) Sejm Senate
1 BS Nonpartisan Local Government Activists
Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy
Regionalism
Localism
Centre-left Robert Raczyński [pl] N/A 0.8%
0 / 460
0 / 460
0 / 100
903 40
2 TD Third Way
Trzecia Droga
Centrism
Christian democracy
Centre to centre-right Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
Szymon Hołownia
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
Paulina Hennig-Kloska
8.6%
30 / 460
33 / 460
5 / 100
918 28
3 NL New Left
Nowa Lewica
Social democracy
Progressivism
Centre-left to left-wing Włodzimierz Czarzasty
Robert Biedroń
Krzysztof Gawkowski
Marcelina Zawisza[18]
12.6%
49 / 460
45 / 460
1 / 100
912 14
4 ZP United Right
Prawo i Sprawiedliwość
National conservatism Right-wing Jarosław Kaczyński Ryszard Terlecki 43.6%
235 / 460
235 / 460
46 / 100
918 96
5 KON Confederation Liberty and Independence
Konfederacja Wolność i Niepodległość
Libertarian conservatism
Polish nationalism
Right-wing to far-right Sławomir Mentzen
Krzysztof Bosak
Krzysztof Bosak 6.8%
11 / 460
11 / 460
0 / 100
913 65
6 KO Civic Coalition
Koalicja Obywatelska
Liberalism Big tent Donald Tusk Borys Budka 27.4%
134 / 460
129 / 460
41 / 100
919 49

Electoral committees registered in more than one constituency

List Ideology Political Position Leader # of constituencies Candidates
Sejm Senate
7 PJJ There is One Poland
Polska Jest Jedna
Right-wing populism
Vaccine hesitancy
Right-wing Rafał Piech 39 579 4
9 RDiP Peace and Prosperity Movement
Ruch Dobrobytu i Pokoju
Populism
Economic nationalism
Big tent Maciej Maciak 11 155 3
10 NK Normal Country
Normalny Kraj
Anti-establishment
Right-wing populism
Right-wing Wiesław Lewicki 4 61 1

Electoral committees registered in a single constituency

List Ideology Political Position Leader Parliamentary leader 2019 result Current number of seats Constituency Candidates
Votes (%) Seats in Sejm Sejm (list) Senate (list) Sejm Senate
AP Anti-party
Antypartia
Anti-establishment
Direct democracy
Centre Marek Ciesielczyk [pl] N/A N/A
0 / 460
0 / 460
0 / 100
8 – Zielona Góra 16 0
MN German Minority
Mniejszość Niemiecka
Minority interests Centre Ryszard Galla Ryszard Galla 0.2%[c]
1 / 460
1 / 460
0 / 100
21 – Opole 24 1
RNP Repair Poland Movement
Ruch Naprawy Polski
Populism Centre Romuald Starosielec N/A N/A
0 / 460
0 / 460
0 / 100
18 – Siedlce 16 3

Electoral committees with candidates only for the Senate

List Ideology Political Position Leader Candidates
MP Mirosław Piasecki Candidate for Senator RP
Mirosław Piasecki Kandydat na Senatora RP
Populism[19]
Single-winner voting[20]
Centre-right[21] Mirosław Piasecki 2
ND-T New Democracy - Yes
Nowa Demokracja - Tak
Economic progressivism
Regionalism
Centre-left to left-wing Marek Materek 5
PS'23 Senate Pact Independents
Pakt Senacki 2023
Pro-Europeanism
Localism
Big tent N/A 6
PL 2050 Poland 2050[d]
Polska 2050
Social liberalism Centre-left Włodzimierz Zydorczak 3
Piraci Polish Pirate Party
Polska Partia Piratów
Pirate politics
Freedom of information
Centre Janusz Wdzięczak 1
PO Civic Agreement
Porozumienie Obywatelskie
Civic engagement Centre Andrzej Dyszewski
Rafał Skiba
2
ŚR Silesians Together
Ślonzoki Razem
Localism
Silesian autonomism
Centre-left Leon Swaczyna 2
WiS Free and Solidary
Wolni i Solidarni
Solidarism
Conservatism
Right-wing Jan Miller 3
W Wolnościowcy[e] Libertarianism
Minarchism
Right-wing Artur Dziambor 1
Z United
Zjednoczeni
Solidarism
Economic nationalism
Left-wing Wojciech Kornowski 2
ZChR Union of Christian Families
Zjednoczenie Chrześcijańskich Rodzin
National conservatism
Political Catholicism
Far-right Bogusław Rogalski 5
ZS Slavic Union
Związek Słowiański
Agrarianism
Economic nationalism
Syncretic Zbigniew Adamczyk 2
Other electoral committees with a single candidate 21

Electoral committees withdrawn before the election

Liberal Poland – Entrepreneurs' Strike has registered electoral lists in 17 constituencies, however on 13 October 2023 the committee has announced its intention to withdraw from the race. The committee's candidates will appear on the ballot, although votes for them will be counted as invalid.[22]

List Ideology Political Position Leader # of constituencies Candidates
Sejm Senate
8 PL!SP Liberal Poland – Entrepreneurs' Strike
Polska Liberalna Strajk Przedsiębiorców
Libertarianism
Populism
Centre-right Paweł Tanajno 17 321 0

Electoral committees

Within the stipulated deadline for submitting electoral committees, 94 committees were applied for registration, of which 85 were registered: 2 coalitions, 40 political parties and 43 voters. 46 committees declared running for both the Sejm and the Senate, 3 only for the Sejm and 36 only for the Senate.[23][24]

Electoral committees
Type Committee Status Sejm lists Senate lists
1 Party Confederation Liberty and Independence Fielded lists Yes Yes
2 Party New Left[f] Fielded lists Yes Yes
3 Party Nonpartisan Local Government Activists Fielded lists Yes Yes
4 Party Liberal Poland Entrepreneurs' Strike Fielded lists Yes No
5 Party Patriots Poland Registered Declared No
6 Party There is One Poland Fielded lists Yes Yes
7 Coalition Civic Coalition PO .N iPL Zieloni Fielded lists Yes Yes
8 Party Slavic Union Fielded lists Declared Yes
9 Party Freedom Party Registered Declared Declared
10 Coalition Third Way PSL-PL2050 of Szymon Hołownia Fielded lists Yes Yes
11 Party Law and Justice Fielded lists Yes Yes
12 Party Social Movement AGROunia Yes Self-dissolved[g] Declared Declared
13 Party Non-partisans Registered Declared Declared
14 Party Anti-party Fielded lists Yes Declared
15 Party Union of Christian Families Fielded lists Declared Yes
16 Party United Fielded lists Declared Yes
17 Party Responsibility Registered Declared Declared
18 Party Normal Country Fielded lists Yes Yes
19 Voters Prosperity and Peace Movement Fielded lists Yes Yes
20 Party Free Europe Registered Declared Declared
21 Party Poland 2050[d] Fielded lists Declared Yes
22 Party Repair of Poland Movement Fielded lists Yes Yes
23 Party Piast - Unity of Thought of European Nations and the World Registered Declared Declared
24 Voters German Minority Fielded lists Yes Yes
25 Party Silesians Together Fielded lists Declared Yes
26 Party Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland Registered Declared Declared
27 Voters Andrzej Dziuba - Senate Pact Fielded lists No Yes
28 Party Polish Pirate Party Fielded lists No Yes
29 Voters Pact Senate for Citizens Fielded lists No Yes
30 Voters Marcin Nowak Fielded lists No Yes
31 Party New Hope Registered Declared Declared
32 Voters Krzysztof Kwiatkowski - Senate Pact Fielded lists No Yes
33 Voters Krzysztof Lechowski Fielded lists No Yes
34 Voters Civic Pact Lasecki Fielded lists No Yes
35 Voters Lidia Staroń - Always on the Side of People Fielded lists No Yes
36 Voters Robert Roguski Fielded lists No Yes
37 Voters "Future of Poland" Rejected No Declared
38 Party Free and Solidary Fielded lists Declared Yes
39 Voters Independent Candidate Dawid Borowiak Fielded lists No Yes
40 Voters Polish Anti-war Movement Rejected No Declared
41 Voters Mirosław Augustyniak Candidate For Senator of the Republic of Poland Fielded lists No Yes
42 Voters Dariusz Męczykowski Fielded lists No Yes
43 Voters Jan Maria Jackowski Fielded lists No Yes
44 Party People's Party "Ojcowizna" RP Registered Declared Declared
45 Party Congress of the New Right Registered Declared Declared
46 Voters Prof. Joanna Senyszyn Registered No Declared
47 Voters Professor Krzysztof Gutkowski Fielded lists No Yes
48 Party New Democracy - Yes Fielded lists No Yes
49 Voters Wadim Tyszkiewicz - Senate Pact Fielded lists No Yes
50 Voters Civic Agreement Fielded lists No Yes
51 Party Social Alternative Registered Declared Declared
52 Voters Our Left Fielded lists Declared Yes
53 Party The Right Registered No Declared
54 Voters Zygmunt Frankiewicz - Senate Pact Fielded lists No Yes
55 Voters Beata Mnich Fielded lists No Yes
56 Party Self-Defence Registered Declared Declared
57 Voters Józef Zając Fielded lists No Yes
58 Party Wolnościowcy Fielded lists Declared Yes
59 Voters Jerzy Markowski Registered No Declared
60 Voters Liberal Democracy Registered Declared Declared
61 Party Republican Party Registered Declared Declared
62 Party Silesian Regional Party Registered Declared Declared
63 Party Unity of Poles Movement Registered Declared Declared
64 Voters Lucyna Kulińska in the Service of the Republic Registered No Declared
65 Voters Non-partisan Anti-system Fielded lists Declared Yes
66 Voters Yes for Senate RP Jan Kuriata Fielded lists No Yes
67 Voters Mirosław Piasecki Candidate For Senator of the Republic of Poland Fielded lists No Yes
68 Voters of Zamojszczyzna Fielded lists No Yes
69 Voters Nonpartisan Local Government Activists of Galicia Registered Declared Declared
70 Party Fourth Republic of Poland Registered Declared Declared
71 Voters Social Poland Registered Declared No
72 Party Public Interest Registered Declared Declared
73 Voters Believe in Poland Registered Declared Declared
74 Voters E-parliament-New Civilization Registered No Declared
75 Voters Independent is Alive Registered Declared Declared
76 Voters Kajetan Gornig Registered No Declared
77 Voters Mariusz Kazimierz Wójtowicz Fielded lists No Yes
78 Voters Mateusz Pazdan "Cooperation and Honesty" Rejected No Declared
79 Party Conservative Party Registered Declared Declared
80 Voters Candidate of the Mountain Land Fielded lists No Yes
81 Voters From Greater Poland to the Senate Registered No Declared
82 Party National Movement Registered Declared Declared
83 Voters Krzysztof Wawrzyniec Borkowski Senate Pact Fielded lists No Yes
84 Voters Greater Poland Senate Initiative Fielded lists No Yes
85 Voters Together for Częstochowa Registered Declared Declared
86 Voters Royal Cities Rejected No Declared
87 Voters European Left Fielded lists No Yes
88 Voters "Royal Senate" Rejected No Declared
89 Party "Piast" Faction Registered Declared Declared
90 Voters Local Government Initiative Together Registered Declared Declared
91 Voters Fair Elections Rejected Declared Declared
92 Voters ROP Rejected Declared Declared
93 Voters Dr Rafał Stachura - Senate Pact Rejected No Declared
94 Party Compatriots Registered Declared Declared

Timeline

With the President setting the election date to be 15 October 2023, the following schedule was approved by the National Electoral Commission (PKW):[25]

Timeline of the 2023 Polish parliamentary election
DateEvent description
until 28 August
  • Parties, coalitions and citizen groups can register electoral committees with PKW
  • Regional voting commissions are to be formed and registered
until 6 September at 16:00
  • Electoral committees are to deliver lists of candidates
until 11 September
  • Voting commissions in medical and care facilities, prisons, jails, and student dormitories are to be formed and registered
until 15 September
  • Voting districts, the location of polling stations, including accessibility information are to be announced
  • Ship captains are to register maritime voting districts
  • Electoral committees are to recommend members for polling stations
until 25 September
  • Local voting commissions are to be constituted
  • Foreign voting districts and polling stations abroad are to be announced
until 2 October
  • Disabled and senior voters (60 years of age and above) can:
    • apply to vote by mail, also to receive Braille-ready ballots
    • apply to receive free-of-charge transport to and from the polling station in their place of residence – in municipalities with no public transport available
until 5 October
  • Regional voting commissions are to announce candidate lists in their districts
  • Public transport arrangements in rural and semi-rural districts are to be announced
DateEvent description
until 6 October
  • Disabled and senior voters can authorize proxy voters
until 10 October
  • Citizen electoral committees of national minorities can apply to waive the 5% vote threshold
between 1 September and 12 October
  • Voters can:
    • apply to vote outside their registered address in their country or abroad; or
    • receive a certificate to vote at any polling station in the country
  • Soldiers, border guards and other service members can apply to vote in their place of service
between 30 September and 13 October
  • Polish public radio and TV stations are to broadcast electoral committees' announcements free of charge
On 13 October at 24:00
  • The electoral campaign is to formally conclude
  • Election silence commences: no political broadcasts, social media posts or issuing of new physical advertising materials is allowed
.
On 15 October
  • The vote takes place between 7:00 and 21:00
  • Projected results of the exit poll are announced

Opinion polls

Results

Sejm

Party
United Right
Third Way
Confederation Liberty and Independence
Civic Coalition
New Left
There is One Poland
Nonpartisan Local Government Activists
German Minority Electoral Committee
Peace and Prosperity Movement
Normal Country
Repair Poland Movement
Anti-party
Total
Source: National Electoral Commission

Senate

Party
Mirosław Piasecki Candidate for Senator RP
New Democracy - Yes
Senate Pact 2023
Poland 2050
Polish Pirate Party
Civic Agreement
Silesians Together
Free and Solidary
Wolnościowcy
United Beyond Boundaries
Union of Christian Families
Slavic Union
Total
Source: National Electoral Commission

Notes

  1. ^ Including 40 members of the KO caucus and 1 independent senator
  2. ^ Including 4 members of the PSL-Polish Coalition caucus and 1 member of the PL2050 caucus
  3. ^ National minority committees are not subject to the 5% threshold.
  4. ^ a b Not related to Poland 2050 of Szymon Hołownia.
  5. ^ Individual candidates running on Third Way and Confederation lists.
  6. ^ The Left registered its committee under the New Left party to circumvent the 8% electoral threshold for electoral coalitions.
  7. ^ New Democracy - Yes left the coalition after AGROunia announced it will run on Civic Coalition lists.

References

  1. ^ "Poland to hold parliamentary election on 15 October". www.euractiv.com. 2023-08-09. Retrieved 2023-10-10.
  2. ^ "Poland unveils referendum on EU migrant policy – DW – 08/13/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  3. ^ "Referendum 2023. Najważniejsze pytania i odpowiedzi – tvn24– 8/15/2023". tvn24.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  4. ^ "Hołownia: kartka referendalna w tej formie będzie ulotką wyborczą PiS – tvn24– 10/11/2023". tvn24.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  5. ^ a b "Poland election: Ruling Law and Justice party win poll". BBC News. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  6. ^ Stegmaier, Mary; Marcinkiewicz, Kamil (18 October 2019). "Poland's Parliament is now divided. What does this mean for the ruling Law and Justice party?". Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  7. ^ Iwaniuk, Jakub (14 November 2019). "En Pologne, l'opposition conquiert le Sénat et freine la « révolution conservatrice » du PiS" [In Poland, the opposition wins the Senate and slows PiS’ "conservative revolution"]. Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Our goal is Polish prosperity state: PM". Telewizja Polska. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2023..
  9. ^ "New government receives vote of confidence". Telewizja Polska. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  10. ^ François, Jean-Baptiste (27 March 2020). "En Pologne, la controverse du maintien de l'élection présidentielle". la-croix.com (in French). Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  11. ^ Walker, Shaun (13 July 2020). "Duda narrowly re-elected in Poland in boost for ruling nationalists". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Konwencja PO. Budka proponuje Koalicję 276. "Tyle głosów potrzebnych do przejęcia władzy"" [PO Convention, Budka proposes a coalition for 276: "so many votes will be needed to get in power"]. gazetapl (in Polish). Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Prezydent: podjąłem decyzję o zarządzeniu wyborów do Sejmu i Senatu na dzień 15 października 2023 roku". Polska Agencja Prasowa SA (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  14. ^ "Znamy cztery daty, kiedy wybory 2023 mogą się odbyć. "Decyzję podejmie prezydent"".
  15. ^ "Election Resources on the Internet: Elections to the Polish Sejm, Part I". electionresources.org. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  16. ^ "Opozycja zawarła pakt senacki. Co to konkretnie oznacza?". www.polityka.pl (in Polish). 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  17. ^ "Pakt senacki. Politycy opozycji mają "postawić kropkę nad i"". Onet Wiadomości (in Polish). 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  18. ^ "Koalicyjny Klub Parlamentarny Lewicy (Nowa Lewica, PPS, Razem) - Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej". www.sejm.gov.pl.
  19. ^ "Lokalny antysystemowiec" (PDF). Głos Wielkopolski (in Polish). 23 July 2020. p. 19.
  20. ^ Tomasz Barylski (3 September 2023). "Śremianin wystartuje w wyborach parlamentarnych. Przedsiębiorca z Lucin, Mirosław Piasecki będzie się ubiegać o mandat senatora". naszemiasto.pl (in Polish).
  21. ^ "Lokalny antysystemowiec" (PDF). Głos Wielkopolski (in Polish). 23 July 2020. p. 19. Moje drogi z Ruchem Kukiz'15 się rozeszły, ale moje zaangażowanie oraz idee, z którymi działałem się nie zmieniły – dodaje. [My paths with the Kukiz'15 Movement have diverged, but my commitment and the ideas with which I acted have not changed," he adds.]
  22. ^ "Ten komitet nie wystartuje w wyborach. Nagła decyzja tuż przed wyborami".
  23. ^ "Wykaz zawiadomień o utworzeniu komitetu wyborczego złożonych Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej w związku z wyborami do Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej i do Senatu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej zarządzonymi na dzień 15 października 2023 r." (PDF).
  24. ^ "Komitety w wyborach do Sejmu i Senatu w 2023 r."
  25. ^ "Wybory do Sejmu i Senatu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w 2023 r." wybory.gov.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-10-15.