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Poland's Sejm awaits new members. |
Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej – PO) was created in 2001. Center-right, neo-conservative party. Pre-elective platform is based on ideas of struggling with corruption and liberal economical reforms. Propagates the creation of large geopolitical block of Central and Eastern Europe with regard of ES in external politics, and also tough orientation on USA and NATO. The candidate to Prime Minister – Jan Rokita, the candidate to presidential post - Donald Tusk.
In the elections in 2001 the party got 12.7 % of voices. In Sejm in 2001 the party got 6 65 mandates, in Senate 2001 (block PO, PiS and three more rightist factions) – 15 mandates. At present time the public opinion polls forecast to the party 33% of votes (152 mandates in Sejm. So, the party is the leader of pre-election race and has maximum chances to head the future center-right coalition. Donald Tusk, judging from the public opinion polls, has 44% of votes that makes him the favorite in the presidential race.
Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc – PiS) was created in 2001. Center-right party. Pre-elective platform is created, mainly, on the ideas of struggle with corruption, economical part is less seen then in PO. In external politics the positions of party are similar to positions of PO – the same orientation to NATO and US, providing wide rights to national governments with regard of EU, creation of geopolitical block of Central and Eastern Europe. The candidate to Prime Minister - Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the candidate to the presidential post Lech Kaczynski. On the elections in 2001 the party got 9.5% of voices. In Sejm in 2001 the party got 44 mandates. In Senate it went in block together with PO.
At present time the public opinion polls forecast 27% of votes to the party (124 mandates in Sejm). Polls show, that Lech Kachinski, as the candidate to the presidents' chair, obtains only 30% of votes and, so far, his chances to win are not high. PiS is considered to be the most prospective partner of PO for the future rightist-conservative coalition.
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| Election officials adjust a Polish emblem on a ballot box (photo: Reuters) |
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Self-Defence (Samoobrona Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej) – Created in 1992 under the title of Przymierze Samoobrona, is changed to the present one in 2000. Left-nationalist, populist party. The pre-election platform is build on the ideas of "euro-scepticism" and xenophobia, its main electorate – peasantry and citizens without certain profession and education. The leader of party from the moment of its creation is Andzej Lepper, who is named "Polish Le Pen". At the last time the accent of agitation campaign was made on softness of Leppers' image like xenophob and antisemist. In Sejm in 2001 the party got 53 mandates. In Senate of 2001 – 2 mandates. In the first half of 2004 about 30% of voters were ready to give their voices to the party. At present time this indicator is 12% (55 mandates in Sejm), which is great success. PO and PiS announced their wish not to see "Samooborona" as the member of future coalition beforehand.
League of Polish Families (Liga Polskich Rodzin – LPR) – Created in 2001 as the block of national-catholic parties and movements (Stronnictwo Narodowe, Porozumienie Polskie, Ruch Katolicko-Narodowy, Przymierze dla Polski). Pre-election platform of the party is based on the ideas of catholic conservatism and social support of socially week groups of population. In external politics the party propagates the equality of "rights and obligations" with regard of EU, as well as the protection of Polish markets from out of control of foreign investments flow. On the elections of 2001 the party got 7.9% of votes. In Sejm 2001 the party got 38 mandates. In Senate 2001 – 2 mandates. On this stage, the forecast is for 9% of votes (about 41 mandate in Sejm). The party might become a member of future central-right coalition.
Democratic Left Alliance (Sojuz Lewicy Demokratycznej – SLD) – Created in 1999, leftist party is the inheritor of Polish communist party (PZPR). At present time is the miserable remains of what used to be the greatest and more disciplined power in Polish politics 4 years ago. In 2001 elections, the SLD and UP coalition obtained 41% of votes. In the Sejm of 2001 this coalition obtained 216 places, and 71 – in the Senate. These results made it possible to the party to head the ruling coalition in the period of 2001-2005. This period was marked by juicy corruption scandals. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister Marek Belka (2004-2005) performed as a first-class professional, who managed to put the professional staff at all key posts in governmental and security bodies. In the foreign policy he was oriented towards the USA. He could not save the party from a political fiasco. Present public opinion polls forecast only 6% of votes for the party – even less than to the LPR. Party's candidate for the presidential post, Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz (former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; present Speaker of the Sejm) withdrew his candidacy (15.9.05). It is not at all clear whether the party is able to pass the electoral barrier, and enter the future parliament.
Polish Peasants Party (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe – PSL) is an agrarian party founded in 1990. It fights for electorate with the Samoobrona party. Contrary to Lepper's party, PSL supports the EU membership, actively participating in the agricultural projects of the European Union. The party keeps close ties with the British Conservative Party. PSL leader is Waldemar Pawlak (who was the Prime Minister in 1992). The top of the party's popularity was in the first half of the 1990s, when in 1993 elections it got 15.4% of votes (132 places in the Sejm). Afterwards came the party's extinction. In 2001 elections it obtained 9% of votes, getting 42 mandates in the Sejm, and 4 - in the Senate. Present public opinion polls forecast about 5% of votes for the party, so it is unclear if it is able to pass the electoral barrier.
Polish Social Democrats (Socjaldemokracja Polska – SdPl) was founded in 2004, after the internal split in SLD. Elections platform of this party contains a standard set of slogans of the leftist camp (defense of workers' rights, support of socially weak groups of population, etc.). In foreign policy it declares the course towards further integration in the European Union. SdPl leader is Marek Borowski (who occupied ministerial posts in several governments in the Nineties, in 2001-2004 he was the speaker of the Sejm). In May 2005, Borowski became a candidate for the presidential post. Present opinion polls show that him and his party will gain 3 – 5% of votes, and it is unclear if SdPl is able to pass the electoral barrier.
Democratic Party (Partia Demokratyczna – Demokraci.pl), a centrist liberal party founded in 2005 on the basis of the former Freedom Union (Unia Wolnosci - UW). Its leaders are Jerzy Hausner (in 2001-2005 he occupied a number of ministerial posts, and the post of the Vice Premier in the SLD government), and Marek Belka (Prime Minister in the SLD government in 2004-2005). Party leadership mainly consists of the former members of SLD and UW, and it gained the image of the "egg-headed crowd", not managing to obtain electorate's support. Present polls predict no more than 3% to it, so that its political future is not guaranteed at all.
German Minority (Mniejszosc Niemiecka). According to the Polish Constitution, 2 places in the Parliament are reserved for the representatives of the German community. This year, the list of community's candidates to the Sejm membership contains 14 names. Elections are organized by the Election Committee (Komitet Wyborczy "Mniejszosc Niemiecka"),which was founded in 1990. The Committee is subsidiary to the Union of the German Cultural and Political Associations of Poland (Zwiazek Niemieckich Stowaryszen Spoleczno-Kulturalnych w Polsce – ZNSSK).
Related items:
Kaczynski Brothers: Movie Stars That Turned Politicians (22.09.05)
Jan Rokita: The Triumph of the Politician - Intellectual (22.09.05)
Warsaw Consolidates the Countries of Eastern and Central Europe (21.09.05)
On the Threshold of a Right-Centrist Revolution (03.09.05)
The Great Game for Poland (15.05.05)
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