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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Opposition Civic Platform Leads in Poland
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Poland’s most prominent opposition party has gained public support this month, according to a poll by TNS OBOP published in Dziennika. 35 per cent of respondents would vote for Civic Platform (PO) in the next general election, up three points since mid-August.
The governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) is second with 27 per cent—also up three points in just over two weeks—followed by the League for Self-Defence (LiS) with 12 per cent, the Left and Democracy (LiD) coalition with 11 per cent, and the Peasant’s Party (PSL) with five per cent.
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 Self-Defence of the Polish Republic (SRP) and the League of Polish Families (LPR).
In July 2006, deputy prime minister and SRP leader Andrzej Lepper announced that Marcinkiewicz would resign after he made some decisions without consulting his coalition partners. Polish president Lech Kaczynski appointed PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski—his twin brother—as the country’s new prime minister.
On Jul. 9, Polish president Lech Kaczynski dismissed Lepper—who also served as agricultural minister—after a government agency accused him of being involved in a bribery scandal. Also in July, the SRP and LPR announced the creation of the LiS. On Aug. 13, the president discharged the four cabinet ministers who are not members of the PiS.
Business and financial sectors in Poland have expressed concern over spending promises being made by the two main political organizations ahead of this year’s election. While opposition parties in the legislature passed a motion increasing tax deduction for children, the government has promised to raise the minimum wage by more than 10 per cent.
On Sept. 5, the Polish Business Roundtable issued an open letter, accusing the government of ignoring what they called "necessary economic reforms", and claiming the country’s leaders "tend to use entrepreneurs and public money as instruments in political warfare whose goal is to polarize society."
On Sept. 7, Poland’s lower house was dissolved after a 377-54 vote, in a motion called by the LiD. The legislative ballot is scheduled for Oct. 21.
Polling Data
What party would you support in the next election?
Sept. 4 | Aug. 14 | |
Civic Platform (PO) | 35% | 32% |
Law and Justice Party (PiS) | 27% | 24% |
League for Self-Defence (LiS) Self-Defence of the Polish Republic (SRP) League of Polish Families (LPR) | 12% | 8% |
Left and Democracy (LiD) Democratic Left Alliance (SLD)Social Democracy of Poland (SDP) Democratic Party of Poland (PD)Labour Union (UP) | 11% | 10% |
Peasant’s Party (PSL) | 5% | 3% |