Kamil Tchorek in Warsaw and Roger Boyes
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October 22, 2007
Young voters return home to secure defeat of right-wing twin in Poland
Poland last night unseated Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the nationalist Prime Minister who has made enemies across the European Union, in an extraordinary election that brought a landslide victory for his main conservative rival, Donald Tusk.
Early exit polls showed that Mr Tusk’s Civic Platform party would probably be able to rule Poland without a coalition partner – reducing some of the political acrimony and friction that has soured the country over the past year. “The result should mean a period of stable political rule,” said a relieved EU diplomat. Mr Kaczynski – the twin brother of President Lech Kaczynski – has irritated Russia, Germany and Brussels with his fierce defence of Polish national interests.
He was removed from power by young voters, hundreds of thousands of whom have been flying in from Britain and Ireland over the past few days in order to cast their ballots in their home towns. Thousands more queued to vote in Polish consulates. This ensured a victory for Civic Platform in Warsaw – overseas votes count towards the result in the Polish capital – which set the tone for a day in which Mr Kaczynski’s Law and Justice party lost most of its strongholds.
Exit polls awarded 43.7 per cent to Civic Platform, compared with 30.4 per cent for the Law and Justice party. In theory Mr Tusk could form an alliance with the third-place Left and Democracy party, which won 13.3 per cent of the vote, or the Peasants’ Party (PSL), which picked up just over 8 per cent. Neither of Mr Kaczynski’s former coalition allies – the clericalist League of Polish Families and the rural Self-Defence grouping – won enough votes to be represented in parliament. Mr Kaczynski is therefore left without any significant partner.
The election ushers in the beginning of the end politically for the Kaczynski twins, who for the past year have ranked as the most bizarre governing tandem in Europe. The President will stay in power until 2010 and will form an uneasy cohabitation with the Tusk Government. In theory he will be able to block, at least for a short while, some foreign policy initiatives. Insiders say that Mr Tusk is likely to choose Radek Sikorski – who made his name as a journalist in Britain in the 1980s – as Foreign Minister.
The election split Polish families because it was focused on personalities. Until last week it appeared that Mr Kaczynski had the edge. His voters, often devout Catholics, were the most disciplined in Polish politics. If turnout was to be as low as two years ago – 40 per cent – and the urban young stayed at home, there was little to stop Mr Kaczynski. But turnout was strong, at 55.3 per cent.
The turning point may have come last week when the government-backed Central Anti-Corruption Bureau revealed details of a “sting” operation in which an undercover agent courted a female Civic Platform candidate, persuaded her to accept a bribe and then arrested her for it. For many urban voters that was a step too far.
“I was going to vote for the Kaczynskis because they really are doing something about corruption that should have been done years ago,” Stanislaw Pruszynski, who runs a restaurant business in Warsaw, said. “But I have switched to the Civic Platform even though they don’t have a proper programme – the Kaczynskis have gone too far by smearing their opponents.” One powerful factor was also the politicisation of the Poles working abroad. “This was too important; we couldn’t let the twins tarnish the Polish image any longer,” said Mariusz Radomski, arriving in Warsaw on Saturday from London.
The Civic Platform has been active in trying to persuade young émigrés to return home. Poland is preparing to adopt the euro and its new ruling party wants to bring troops back from Iraq and intends to renegotiate an agreement with the US to house missiles on Polish soil.
Thousands of Poles queued for hours in Central London to vote after officials underestimated numbers. Only 11 polling booths were opened at the Polish Consulate and Embassy although there were more than 12,000 registered voters in the area. Voters arrived by bus from Brighton and other cities and police were called in to control traffic. Polls were due to shut at 8pm but remained open until the last person had voted. “It’s one of the important things to do if you want to call yourself a citizen of Poland,” Daniel Tokarczyk, 27, of Krakow, said.
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Well, most of Poles that voted for Civic Platform are pretty sure that wonders promised by CP's leader Donald Tusk are goin to happen. A lot can be said bout those Tusk's "little miracles", but the best one is undoubtedly the one about eliminating hoarfrost. What can I say, this tiny example shows awareness of so-called "well-educated young voters". Britons aren't truly accustomed with Polish customs, but they should know sth about Polish mentality - Law & Justice, as an only ruling party has heighten their seat's numbers in Polish Parliament after two yrs of rulin the country. Besides Kamil Czorek is obviously CP follower so is exaggeratin a bit, since there is no chance for solitaire ruling over Poland.
Snuffles, Birmingham, England
I see that fighting corruption, lowering taxes and defending our national interests mean nothing for young people in Poland.
Now we have once again pulled over from the way of changes...
Kacper, Tychy, Poland
You know, our last two years were kind of pathetic. I'm glad we had a happy ending and finally we have a chance to make our country look more like Britian, Ireland, France and other western countries - no more nationalism and xenophoby in diplomacy and maybe at last our economy will improve.
El Pollo Diablo, Sopot, Poland
Well done! The real winner of these elections is Polish democracy which is stronger than ever! Congrtulations to Donald Tusk and The Civic Platform. Top job!
Dawid, London,
Poor, young, manipulated Poles!!! You just voted off the first prime minister, who really cared, loved and had a vision for our country.
You will underastand this in a couple of years.
Piotr, London,
Finally voters have put an end to this pathetic two-year spectacle of aggression, disrespect, smearing and aggravating relations with the EU.
Katz, Birmingham,
Well, we hope that it;s not over. PO won, but I want to believe that our votes won't be wasted and we will have this promised "economical miracle".
Karol, Warsaw, Poland
Well done for the high turnout!
JG, Epsom,
I woke up this morning with a strong feeling that sth good is comming. Le's say a 'positive change'. I can feel wind of change on my face.Even the sky is a little bit brighter ;P
erbamala, Lodz,
If young Poles really want to help their country, why don't they stay there! Coming here and helping to make our economy stronger isn't going to help Poland is it?
J Roberts, Manchester, UK
Yeah, we did it! At last. I was born in April '89, I just turned 18 (Oh, God, I am a communist! *irony* I was born in communism!) and I voted. For Civic Platform, of course! I know few people at my age who voted for Law and Justice, but that's great minority.
I'm proud of you, Polish Citizens! I'm proud that you were part of that election, that you voted, the great majority of you. It's not PO who won - the DEMOCRACY won!
And yet, no more twinocracy, no more Jarek Kaczynski, no more tapping, ah! I'm in heaven :)
Now I'm waiting for impeachement of Lech Kaczynski... xD No more Kaczynski in power!
And again - thank you, my fellows!
And Mr. Tusnk - I hope you'll not disappoint us! You have great responsability now! Don't fail our expectations! Because we - the society of Poland, especially the young society - we don't forget and we don't forgive so easily...
regards,
Katice :)
PS. Sorry for mistakes - I'm learning English still :)
Beata, Chorzow, near Katowice, Poland
No more church democracy in Poland ! No more !! : ))
Mimi, Gdansk,
Finally! it is celebration time!!! Before,even if we were a democratic country , there wasnt a true sense of liberty.. Conservatives didnt serve us well.. there is hope for better future, if not from a political view then at least from the social one...
At least we ll stop making fools out of ourselves...
Anna, Aberdeen, Scotland
Erika Steinbach and the Vertriebenen are happy, too...
Chris, Wschowa, Poland
Law and Justice is never a popular ! !
Sandra, Geneva, Switzerland
I'm very happy because my friend will return home.
Ania, Poznan, Poland
Ania, poznan, pioland
The Duck Tales has just finished :D
We made it :) Now, get to work and do as much as we can. We have to change it :)
Fester, Warsaw, Poland
It's the best choice for Poland and for UE.
Aleksander, Wroclaw, Poland
yesss yesss yesss !!! Marcinkiewicz voted too in London :D We smashed twins!!! yeah! Kaczyński go home! I song yesterday..glory glory alleluja :)))
szczesliwy, Cracov, Polska
I am so happy to wake up in a free country! Poland is no longer "a poultry house".
Hania, Bydgoszcz, Poland
Well Kaczynski has gone the hell and now we're waiting for real Poland, congratulations Civil Platform!
Marcin, Wimbledon-London, england
Another important factor that you have overlooked is the absence of the two "crazy" parties Samoobrona ( self-defence ) and LPR ( Leage of polish families ). They didnt manage to get over the 5% vote rule, and are now out of the government! FINALLY!
Hooray for Poland:)
Rafał, Warsaw, Poland
The inexperenced Polish youth seem to have won this election for Tusk's solely money-minded party. Let's see where it gets them in a year or so ?!
Hope Tusk and his fellow party members do not "sell out" too much of Poland to Europe - who are clearly only too happy to profit from a developing nation.
Susan, London, UK
Finally Poland is back to normality.
And Hobbit's are gone.
Jakub, Shanghai, China
That was the only right thing to do!!! I was so happy to see all those people wanting to vote but having to queue outside the polling booth.
Marta, london,
Fighting corruption is not enough to secure votes of modern, well educated Poles. Without proper strategy for economical growth Kaczynski was uable to attract electorate - instead young people voted for stable, pro-market and european friendly Tusk's Civic Platform. The true winner of yesterday elections is Polish democracy which shown to be as strong as ever! Well done!
Dawid, London,
Good job! Young people rules!
Paul, Manchester,
Success! Hope that EU will help the new government. After Kaczynski rule we will need support...
Michael, Lodz, Polans
Brawo!!
Voter, Katowice,
yes, we won, but not finally, it is a long way to go to dismiss all the Kaczynskis-like to the outskirts of public life where they really belong
Renata, Warsaw, Poland
we won!Finally!
Artur, London,