(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A third of Poles think current prime minister Donald Tusk will become their new head of state in the 2010 election, according to a poll by TNS OBOP published in Dziennika. 34 per cent of respondents think Tusk will become their next president.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – A third of Poles think current prime minister Donald Tusk will become their new head of state in the 2010 election, according to a poll by TNS OBOP published in Dziennika. 34 per cent of respondents think Tusk will become their next president.
Current president Lech Kaczynski and former prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz are second with 14 per cent each, followed by former prime minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz with seven per cent, and former general prosecutor Zbigniew Ziobro with five per cent. Less than five per cent of respondents think Jan Rokita, Marek Borowski, Rafal Dutkiewicz, Waldemar Pawlak or Jerzy Szmajdzinski will become president in 2010.
In October 2005, Kaczynski defeated Tusk in the presidential run-off with 54.04 per cent of the vote. His five-year term will end in December 2010. Kaczynski is eligible for consecutive re-election.
In October 2007, Polish voters renewed the Diet, or lower house of Parliament. Final results gave Tusk’s Civic Platform (PO) 41.51 per cent of the vote and 209 seats, followed by the Law and Justice Party (PiS) with 32.11 per cent of the vote and 166 seats. In November, the PO and the Peasant’s Party (PSL)—who together hold 240 seats in the 460-member Diet—agreed to form a coalition government.
In November, Tusk was sworn in as prime minister, and declared: "I am convinced that if we help each other, we will succeed. I am addressing this sincere request to you too, Mister President." The president’s twin brother and fellow PiS member Jaroslaw Kaczynski served as prime minister in the outgoing administration.
On May 2, Tusk addressed the nation to offer a review of his first six months in office. PiS member Jacek Kurski criticized Tusk for what he called a "superficial presentation", adding, "It was just a continuation of the sweet words and PR, maintaining the nice image, the atmosphere in a manner which is serves as camouflage for the lack of programme and ineffective governing."
Polling Data
Who do you believe will become the president of Poland in 2010?
|
Donald Tusk |
34% |
|
Lech Kaczynski |
14% |
|
Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz |
14% |
|
Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz |
7% |
|
Zbigniew Ziobro |
5% |
|
Jan Rokita |
4% |
|
Marek Borowski |
3% |
|
Rafal Dutkiewicz |
3% |
|
Waldemar Pawlak |
2% |
|
Jerzy Szmajdzinski |
1% |
Source: TNS OBOP / Dziennika
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 500 Polish adults, conducted on Apr. 29, 2008. Margin of error is 5 per cent.
