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Poland’s Ruling PiS Stays in the Lead
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Poland’s governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) has widened its lead over all other parties in the country, according to a poll by PGB. 36 per cent of respondents would back the PiS in this month’s legislative election, up one point in a week.
The opposition Civic Platform (PO) is second with 30 per cent—down three points in a week—followed by the Left and Democracy (LiD) coalition with 18 per cent, the League of Polish Families (LPR) with six per cent, the Peasant’s Party (PSL) also with six per cent, and the Self-Defence of the Polish Republic (SRP) with four per cent. Under the country’s proportional representation system, a party must receive at least five per cent of the vote—and a coalition at least eight per cent—to elect members.
In September 2005, voters in Poland renewed their legislative branch. Final results gave the PiS 26.9 per cent of the vote and 155 lawmakers in the 460-seat lower house. In October, economic expert Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz took over as prime minister and Lech Kaczynski won the presidential election. The coalition government included the PiS, the SRP and the LPR. In July 2006, following Marcinkiewicz’s resignation, Polish president Lech Kaczynski appointed PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski—his twin brother—as the country’s new prime minister.
In July 2007, Lech Kaczynski dismissed agricultural minister and SRP leader Andrzej Lepper over a bribery scandal. The coalition government officially collapsed on Sept. 7, when Poland’s lower house was dissolved after a 377-54 vote, in a motion called by the LiD. An early legislative ballot is scheduled for Oct. 21.
Yesterday, deputy agriculture minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski told a news conference in Moscow that Poland could block Russia’s accession bid to the World Trade Organization (WTO) if it fails to remove an embargo on Polish meat and produce. The embargo was implemented by the Kremlin in 2005 alleging insufficient quality standards, but Poland has maintained it was politically motivated. Ardanowski declared: "If Russia’s position toward Poland doesn’t change, we will have to vote against Russia’s membership in WTO."
Polling Data
What party would you support in the next election?
|
Oct. 10 |
Oct. 3 |
Sept. 26 |
|
|
Law and Justice Party (PiS) |
36% |
35% |
34% |
|
Civic Platform (PO) |
30% |
33% |
31% |
|
Left and Democracy (LiD) |
18% |
16% |
18% |
|
League of Polish Families (LPR) |
6% |
6% |
7% |
|
Peasant’s Party (PSL) |
6% |
5% |
5% |
|
Self-Defence of the Polish Republic (SRP) |
4% |
4% |
5% |
Source: PGB
Methodology: Interviews with 1,305 Polish adults, conducted on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.