(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Poland’s Law and Justice Party (PiS) has gained momentum but continues to trail the governing Civic Platform (PO), according to a poll by PBS DGA published in Gazeta Wyborcza. 30 per cent of respondents would vote for the main opposition party in the next general election, up seven points since February.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Poland’s Law and Justice Party (PiS) has gained momentum but continues to trail the governing Civic Platform (PO), according to a poll by PBS DGA published in Gazeta Wyborcza. 30 per cent of respondents would vote for the main opposition party in the next general election, up seven points since February.
The governing PO remains ahead with 49 per cent. Support is lower for the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the Peasant’s Party (PSL).
In October 2007, Polish voters renewed the Diet, or lower house of Parliament. Final results gave the PO 41.51 per cent of the vote and 209 seats, followed by the PiS with 32.11 per cent and 166 seats. In November, the PO and the PSL—who together hold 240 seats in the 460-member Diet—agreed to form a coalition government. PO leader Donald Tusk was sworn in as prime minister.
In Poland, the definition of presidential powers declares that the head of state is the "guardian of Polish sovereignty and security" who "co-operates" with the government. Prime minister Tusk suggested in 2008 that Polish president Lech Kaczynski—whose twin brother Jaroslaw leads the opposition PiS—is overstepping his role.
Last month, Polish president Kaczynski celebrated the tenth anniversary of Poland’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), saying, "It was obvious to us that this was the only tough security structure there was in the world and that the membership of NATO would only mean benefits for Poland."
The next legislative election in Poland is due in the fall of 2011.
Polling Data
What party would you support in the next election?
|
|
Mar. 2009 |
Feb. 2009 |
Dec. 2008 |
|
Civic Platform (PO) |
49% |
49% |
52% |
|
Law and Justice Party (PiS) |
30% |
23% |
27% |
|
Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) |
6% |
12% |
7% |
|
Peasant’s Party (PSL) |
6% |
7% |
4% |
Source: PBS DGA / Gazeta Wyborcza
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,019 Polish adults, conducted from Mar. 20 to Mar. 22, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
