The Left Can Influence Poland’s Next Government
The broad opposition won Poland’s recent election, ousting the far-right incumbents. Left-wing alliance Lewica expects a junior role in the next government — but it must use its influence to avoid the failures of past neoliberal administrations.
Leaders of the opposition stand together as they give a press statement in Warsaw, Poland, on October 24, 2023. (Omar Marques / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Poland’s pro-democracy opposition has finally won a parliamentary election. With all votes counted, the center-right Civic Coalition, Christian-democratic Third Way, and left-wing Lewica, will together command 248 out of 460 seats in the lower house (Sejm) and sixty-five of one hundred in the Senate.
Their October 15 success appears to have ended the rule of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party. For eight polarizing years, PiS’s authoritarian tendencies have strained Warsaw’s relationship with the European Union and raised concerns over the Polish state’s democratic integrity. Now, the country waits with bated breath to see what comes next.
While government formation talks may take weeks, if not months, the new government will probably see the return of former prime minister Donald Tusk to the premiership. Hanging over all the negotiations, however, is Law and Justice. Although no longer in power, PiS remains the largest party, with 35 percent support. If the pro-democracy coalition collapses or new elections were to be called, the right-wing might just come roaring back.
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