The economically liberal, opposition Civic Platform (PO) thrashed the ruling, conservative Law and Justice (PiS) in parliamentary elections Oct. 21. The State Election Commission Oct. 22 announced that the PO had obtained 41.51 percent of vote, PiS 32.11 percent, the Left and Democrats (LiD) 13.15 percent, and the Polish People's Party (PSL) 8.91 percent. As a result, the PO holds 209 seats in the 460-member lower house, the Sejm, PiS has 166 parliamentary seats, LiD 53, and the PSL 31. The law reserves one seat for the German minority.


SENATE

Election turnout was 53.88 percent, the highest in the last six parliamentary elections held since 1991.

On Nov. 5 both chambers of the new parliament held their first sessions. Deputies took their oaths of office and elected a new parliamentary council of senior officials. Bronisław Komorowski of the PO was elected Sejm speaker with 292 votes.

The same day, Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, submitted his government's resignation to President Lech Kaczyński, his twin brother, and resigned as prime minister.

A new coalition government consisting of the Civic Platform (PO) and the Polish People's Party (PSL) was officially appointed by President Lech Kaczyński Nov. 16. The PO and the PSL together have 240 deputies. The president appointed PO leader Donald Tusk as new prime minister, together with 18 new ministers proposed by Tusk. The PSL, the junior coalition partner, has its leader Waldemar Pawlak as deputy prime minister and economy minister.

The two-way coalition government won a parliamentary vote of confidence Nov. 24, a day after a policy speech in which Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to reduce barriers hindering business, fight corruption, cut unemployment and accelerate road building plans. Tusk also said improving relations with Russia and Germany and withdrawing Polish troops from Iraq next year were priorities for his government.

Of the 444 members of the Sejm who voted on the confidence motion, 238 were in favor, 204 opposed, and two abstained.

Right before the prime minister delivered his policy speech, during a ceremony that took only a few minutes, the leaders of the PO and the PSL Nov. 23 officially signed an agreement to form a ruling coalition.


SEJM

All the other political groupings contesting the elections failed to cross the election threshold, including PiS's two former coalition partners in government, populist Samoobrona and nationalist, ultra-Catholic League of Polish Families (LPR). The former received only 1.53 percent of the vote, and the latter 1.3 percent. The Polish Labor Party, formed by trade unionists, attracted 0.99 percent of the vote, and the Women's Party, formed just a few months ago, garnered a paltry 0.28 percent.

In the 100-seat upper house of parliament, the Senate, the PO now holds 60 seats, PiS 39, and one seat went to an independent senator.