WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The opposition leader who won Poland’s parliamentary election, Donald Tusk, appealed to the nation’s president Tuesday for “energetic and fast decisions” so that a new government could be formed quickly.
Three opposition parties that vowed to restore democratic standards in Poland together won over 54% of the votes in the nation’s weekend parliamentary election, putting them in a position to take power, according to a complete ballot count reported Tuesday.
Poland’s constitution now requires President Andrzej Duda to assess the new political alignment of forces and to appoint a new prime minister who is tasked with forming a government that will need parliament’s approval, all within a set timeframe.
In a video statement, Tusk appealed to Duda, saying, “I would like to ask for energetic and quick decisions” and stressing that “the winning democratic parties are ready to take over responsibility for governing the country any moment.”
“People are waiting for the first decisions that will be the result of the elections” that took place Sunday, Tusk said.
Duda is an ally of the conservative Law and Justice party, which has been in power since 2015. His term runs until 2025.
Law and Justice, which governed the country for eight turbulent years, won slightly over 35% of the votes, making it the single party with the most votes. But the party and its leader Jarosław Kaczyński lost their majority in parliament and appeared to have no way to hold onto power.
Turnout was nearly 75%, the highest since Poland’s return to democracy, surpassing even the level of 63% in 1989, a vote that triggered the collapse of the oppressive Soviet-backed communist system.
LAW AND JUSTICE had been leading the country down an illiberal path, taking control of courts in a manner that violated the country’s constitution. The party politicized state institutions, including taxpayer-funded public media which it used as a propaganda tool to praise itself and vilify opponents.
The election result was a huge victory for Tusk, the head of the largest opposition group, Civic Coalition. He appeared likely to return to his past role as Polish prime minister, a job he held from 2007-14. He also served as European Council president, a top job in the EU, from 2014-19.
Tusk’s success is all the more remarkable given that state media went into overdrive to portray him as a stooge of Germany and Russia. That portrayal, which appeared baseless, also won him much sympathy.
Tusk himself won more than half a million votes running for a seat in parliament. His party said it was the best result in the history of parliamentary elections in Poland.
The result was a huge relief for Poles concerned about the country’s international isolation at a time of war across the border in Ukraine and the constant bickering with the European Union. Many feared it could lead to Poland’s eventual exit from the 27-member bloc.
YOUNG PEOPLE and women were among those who voted in droves to get rid of the Law and Justice party, which won in 2015 vowing to fight corruption and help even out economic inequalities. While its social spending did help many Polish pensioners and families, solidifying its base of support, the party has increasingly faced allegations of corruption.
The National Electoral Commission said that Law and Justice won slightly over 35% of the votes, and the far-right Confederation party, a possible ally, about 7%.
