Exit poll signals victory for conservative Law and Justice grouping in Polish elections
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
25.10.2015 21:35
An exit poll has indicated that a conservative opposition coalition led by the Law and Justice party has won Poland's general election with 39.1 percent of the vote.
Law and Justice candidate for prime minister Beata Szydło (L) and party leader Jarosław Kaczyński celebrate after the exit poll is announced. Photo: Paweł Supernak
The exit poll by Ipsos regarding the election to Poland's lower house of parliament (Sejm) was released shortly after 9:00 pm, when voting finished. Turnout was given as 51.6 percent (official turnout in the 2011 election was 48.92 percent).
Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz's centrist Civic Platform party was given 23.4 percent in the Ipsos poll.
Kukiz '15, the recent formation of rock star turned politician Paweł Kukiz came third according to the poll, with 9 percent.
Another newcomer, the centrist Modern party of economist Ryszard Petru was placed fourth with 7.1 percent.
The United Left coalition was fifth with 6.6 percent, and if the exit poll proves to be accurate, it means that the grouping will not enter parliament. Coalitions need to garner 8 percent of the vote to take seats in parliament, while single parties need 5 percent.
Meanwhile, Civic Platform's junior coalition partner the Polish People's Party managed 5.2 percent, according to Ipsos's findings. The coalition of Civic Platform and the Polish People's Party had ruled for two consecutive terms, since 2007, marking the longest continuous stretch in power of any government since the collapse of communism in 1989.
KORWiN, the party of self-styled libertarian Janusz Korwin-Mikke, was below the 5 percent threshold, with 4.7 percent, as was new left-wing faction the Together Party, with 3.9 percent.
If the Ipsos poll is reasonably correct, it means that no left-wing grouping will enter parliament. (nh)