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Post by Jaga on May 10, 2015 23:41:59 GMT -7
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski was surprisingly pushed into second place by a conservative challenger in Sunday's presidential election, although the latest exit poll results show the gap narrowing ahead of official results expected later on Monday, pollster Ipsos said.
No official results from the voting have been released. The new exit poll carried by Polish broadcasters put Komorowski on 33.1 percent of the vote, up from 32.2 percent reported last night, but still behind conservative Andrzej Duda on 34.5 percent, down from an earlier 34.8 percent.
Opinion polls before the vote had shown Komorowski with a comfortable lead.
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Post by pieter on May 11, 2015 3:43:28 GMT -7
This election shows that politics in Poland is dominated and ruled by rightwing politics. A centre right politician vs a rightwing conservative polician, Bronislaw Komorowski vs Andrzej Duda.
It seems that the left, Your Movement (Twój Ruch), Democratic Left Alliance (Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej) and Labour United (Unia Pracy) play no significant role in Polish politics.
The absolute dominance of the two rightwing parties Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska), and Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) is simply to large. And they receive support of the party who was in many coalitions, the center right agrarian Christian democratic Polish People's Party (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe).
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Post by pieter on May 11, 2015 9:27:26 GMT -7
The candidates of the right
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Post by pieter on May 11, 2015 9:40:52 GMT -7
The candidates of the left
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Post by pieter on May 11, 2015 10:01:00 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on May 11, 2015 10:14:41 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on May 11, 2015 11:06:24 GMT -7
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Post by kaima on May 11, 2015 11:50:25 GMT -7
Some one astutely pointed out that the Britts only needed 39 days to hold a vote and change their government. Here in the USA we have 600+ days to go for our election! Which do you find preferable? Kai |
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Post by pieter on May 11, 2015 16:08:52 GMT -7
Dear Ron (Kai), I prefer the Dutch one. Less complicated than the British and American systems. We have four different elections; (1) the local Municipal council elections, (2) the regional Provincial elections (The States-Provincial; the provincial parliament and legislative assembly), (3) the elections for the House of Representatives and (4) the European elections (for the European parliament). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Representatives_(Netherlands)The British district and registration system is rather complicated and not beneficial for all parties, due to the way the distribution or partitioning of the votes work. In the USA the democratic election process seems to be an exhausting and long affair with first the register to vote process and the campaigns and debates within each party and later the series of debates between the Democratic and Republican candidates. In the Netherlands there are more parties, coalition governments and election debates between the candidates too. But the process is less long as in the USA and probably in Britain. I would probably choose the American democratic system. Cheers, Pieter |
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Post by Jaga on May 23, 2015 10:17:00 GMT -7
Pieter,
I am glad that you found links to the presidential debates and that you update us regularly. Although I think that Komorowski is a good man, he became too self-indulgent. Listening to the debates make me think that Duda, who is also a professor, would not be disasterous.
Gazeta Wyborcza fully supports Kmorowski. There are almost too biased against anybody else threatening that any other person will do more harm than good to Polish economy.
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Post by Jaga on May 24, 2015 15:04:59 GMT -7
Andrzej Duda won, not only elderly people but also young - below 30 years old, supported him. I think people are ready for the change and Komorowski was probably too passive... Duda is a populist, but he is also centrist and not stupid. www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32862772Poland election: Komorowski concedes defeat to Duda 12 minutes ago From the section Europe Andrzej Duda, 24 May Andrzej Duda celebrates on the release of the exit polls Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has conceded election defeat to conservative challenger Andrzej Duda following the release of exit polls. They suggested Mr Duda had taken the run-off vote by 53% to 47%. Mr Duda had edged Mr Komorowski, who had been the favourite, in the first round but did not gain the 50% needed to win outright. The president has limited powers, but is head of the armed forces and can veto new laws. The exit polls had been delayed after a woman died at a polling station on Sunday. Official results are expected on Monday. Wake-up call "I respect your choice," Mr Komorowski told voters at a gathering of his supporters. "I wish my challenger a successful presidency." Speaking to supporters in Warsaw, Mr Duda said: "Thank you President Bronislaw Komorowski for the rivalry of this presidential campaign and for your congratulations. "Those who voted for me voted for change. Together we can change Poland." The victory will be a wake-up call to Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, an ally of Mr Komorowski, ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn. line Bronislaw Komorowski, 24 May Bronislaw Komorowski had been favourite in opinion polls Analysis: BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw This is a remarkable and decisive victory for Mr Duda. It's remarkable because he is a relative unknown and Mr Komorowski has been a popular president. It suggests that many Poles have grown weary of President Komorowski's backers, the governing centre-right Civic Platform party. In its eight years in office the party has maintained Poland's economic growth despite the financial crisis. But it has also reneged on some of its promises and increased the retirement age, an unpopular move. Poland is gradually catching up to Western Europe's living standards but youth unemployment is high and Poles can still earn much more in the UK or Germany. Many Poles simply do not feel the benefit of 25 years of near uninterrupted growth and Mr Duda appeals to them. He has promised to bring the retirement age back down, but he'd need his Law and Justice party to win this autumn's parliamentary elections to be able to do that. It's been 10 years since they won an election but many think that may now happen. If it does, judging by its last spell in office in 2005-2007, Poland will become more inward looking and much less at ease with its EU partners. line Mr Komorowski, 62, took office five years ago after his predecessor, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash. Mr Komorowski had been the favourite according to previous opinion polls and had been looking for a second term. Mr Duda, 43, is from the right-wing opposition Law and Justice party, which is led by former President Kaczynski's twin brother, Jaroslaw. In the first round Mr Duda attracted most support in the more conservative eastern regions of the country, near the border with Ukraine and Belarus.  |
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Post by Jaga on May 24, 2015 15:05:03 GMT -7
Andrzej Duda won, not only elderly people but also young - below 30 years old, supported him. I think people are ready for the change and Komorowski was probably too passive... Duda is a populist, but he is also centrist and not stupid. www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32862772Poland election: Komorowski concedes defeat to Duda 12 minutes ago From the section Europe Andrzej Duda, 24 May Andrzej Duda celebrates on the release of the exit polls Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has conceded election defeat to conservative challenger Andrzej Duda following the release of exit polls. They suggested Mr Duda had taken the run-off vote by 53% to 47%. Mr Duda had edged Mr Komorowski, who had been the favourite, in the first round but did not gain the 50% needed to win outright. The president has limited powers, but is head of the armed forces and can veto new laws. The exit polls had been delayed after a woman died at a polling station on Sunday. Official results are expected on Monday. Wake-up call "I respect your choice," Mr Komorowski told voters at a gathering of his supporters. "I wish my challenger a successful presidency." Speaking to supporters in Warsaw, Mr Duda said: "Thank you President Bronislaw Komorowski for the rivalry of this presidential campaign and for your congratulations. "Those who voted for me voted for change. Together we can change Poland." The victory will be a wake-up call to Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, an ally of Mr Komorowski, ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn. line Bronislaw Komorowski, 24 May Bronislaw Komorowski had been favourite in opinion polls Analysis: BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw This is a remarkable and decisive victory for Mr Duda. It's remarkable because he is a relative unknown and Mr Komorowski has been a popular president. It suggests that many Poles have grown weary of President Komorowski's backers, the governing centre-right Civic Platform party. In its eight years in office the party has maintained Poland's economic growth despite the financial crisis. But it has also reneged on some of its promises and increased the retirement age, an unpopular move. Poland is gradually catching up to Western Europe's living standards but youth unemployment is high and Poles can still earn much more in the UK or Germany. Many Poles simply do not feel the benefit of 25 years of near uninterrupted growth and Mr Duda appeals to them. He has promised to bring the retirement age back down, but he'd need his Law and Justice party to win this autumn's parliamentary elections to be able to do that. It's been 10 years since they won an election but many think that may now happen. If it does, judging by its last spell in office in 2005-2007, Poland will become more inward looking and much less at ease with its EU partners. line Mr Komorowski, 62, took office five years ago after his predecessor, Lech Kaczynski, died in a plane crash. Mr Komorowski had been the favourite according to previous opinion polls and had been looking for a second term. Mr Duda, 43, is from the right-wing opposition Law and Justice party, which is led by former President Kaczynski's twin brother, Jaroslaw. In the first round Mr Duda attracted most support in the more conservative eastern regions of the country, near the border with Ukraine and Belarus. |
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Post by Jaga on May 25, 2015 9:16:04 GMT -7
I hope that Duda would not become a tool for Kaczynski and other crazies from national front. Poles are always ready for a change in politics.
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Post by pieter on May 25, 2015 12:02:45 GMT -7
Jaga,
I couldn't aggree with you more. I hope that Poland continues on the moderate, center right, pragmatic, liberal conservative course it followed the last 8 years. Maybe PiS will win the next elections, maybe a PO-PiS coalition government (German style Große Koalition = Grand coalition) could be established in Poland. History goes in circles, and therefor I am sure that in the future also the leftwing SLD will return to power, maybe in a coalition with the PSL.
In European and American politics conservative governments in time will be replaced with liberal ones, and liberal ones with conservative ones. That is the course or evolution of democracy. Populists and the far left and far right have little chance, because people want stability, responsible government, economical growth, jobs, social security, good health care, education and investments in public transport, infrastructure and and security (law & order; crime fighting and counter terrorism).
The democratic process has taken place in Poland. The Poles have voted and we have to respect their choice, whether we like it or not.
Cheers,
Pieter
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Post by Jaga on May 31, 2015 15:24:24 GMT -7
Pieter, thanks! I think just like you that this would be a good change. Duda revoked his membership in PIS which is good, since as a president of all Poles he needs to become a president of all Poles.
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