Polish parliamentary election, 2007

Early parliamentary elections for both houses of parliament (Sejm and Senat) were held in Poland on 21 October 2007 after the Sejm voted for its own dissolution on 7 September 2007. The election took place two years before the maximum tenure of four years, with the previous elections having been in September 2005. All parties voted for dissolution except the two junior coalition partners in the former government, the League of Polish Families and Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6984543.stm BBC NEWS | Europe | Polish MPs choose early election ] ] All 460 seats in the Sejm and all 100 seats in the Senate were up for election.

The election was won by the largest opposition group, the Civic Platform, which soundly defeated the ruling Law and Justice party. Throughout the campaign, the polls showed conflicting results as to which of the two parties had the greater support, but by the closing week the polls had swung in favour of the Civic Platform. Three other groupings entered the Sejm, the centre-left Left and Democrats coalition, the agrarian Polish People's Party, and the tiny 'German minority' group. Both of Law and Justice's former minor coalition partners, the League of Polish Families and the Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland suffered a huge voter backlash thereby failing to cross the 5% electoral threshold, for elections to the Sejm. Consequently they lost all their seats.

The turnout of the elections was 53,8% an increase of 13,2% from the 2005 elections, and saw the highest voter frequency in Polish parliamentary election since the semi-free elections of 1989.

Contesting parties

Only 7 parties contested all 41 electoral districts for the Sejm nationwide. These were:
*Law and Justice (PiS)
*Civic Platform (PO)
*Left and Democrats (LiD)
*Polish People's Party (PSL)
*League of the Right of the Republic (LPR)
*Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland (SRP)
*Polish Labour Party (PPP)

Three other parties managed to register in at least one district:
*Women's Party (PK) — 7 districts;
*Patriotic Self-Defense (SOP) — one district;
*German Minority (MN) — one district;

On 26 September 2007, the leader of the National Party of Retirees and Pensioners, Tomasz Mamiński announced his party's withdrawal from the campaign, stating that Polish electoral law and media bias discriminate against smaller parties. [ [http://www.tvn24.pl/-1,1522707,wiadomosc.html Krajowa Partia Emerytów i Rencistów nie startuje w wyborach - Informacje - TVN24.pl - Portal informacyjny - 26.09.2007 ] ]

Although only the ten parties mentioned above openly contested elections to the lower house Sejm, there were other groups which entered the race for elections to the lower house. It is common practice in Polish elections for many smaller parties to register their candidates on the electoral committee lists of the larger parties contesting the election. Hence:

*LPR's lists include members of the League of Polish Families, Real Politics Union and Right of the Republic;
*PiS's lists included members of the Polish People's Party "Piast", National People's Movement, Patriotic Movement, Centre Party and Christian-National Union;
*The SRP's lists include candidates from Piotr Ikonowicz's New Left party, Leszek Miller's Polish Left party and Zygmunt Wrzodak's National Congress of Poland;
*LiD's lists include members from Democratic Left Alliance, Social Democracy of Poland, Democratic Party - demokraci.pl, Labour Union, REASON of Polish Left, Democratic Left Party and Polish Socialist Party;
*The PPP lists include members of the Communist Party of Poland, Union of the Left, Polish Socialist Party, REASON of Polish Left, Movement for Unemployed Protection and National Forum of Retirees and Pensioners. [ [http://wybory2007.pkw.gov.pl/SJM/EN/KOMITETY/dsk.htm Elections 2007 ] ]

29 political groupings and independents contested the elections to the Senate.

The Greens registered in one district to the Senate (Katowice), receiving 4,55% of votes.

Results

After the elections

Consecutive postponements of the electoral silence's termination (initially planned for 8 PM) by the National Electoral Committee was widely criticized. The OSCE Election Assessment Mission stated that the elections demonstrate a democratic and pluralistic process, but challenges remain in oversight of the public media. [ [http://www.osce.org/odihr-elections/item_1_27483.html Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - Elections - Polish elections demonstrate a democratic and pluralistic process, but challenges remain in oversight of the public media, OSCE finds ] ]

Prime Minister and PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński stepped down from office on the 15th of November, and PO leader, Donald Tusk, was sworn in as Poland's Prime Minister the following day. The Civic Platform formed a coalition majority government with the Polish People's Party.

References

See also

* Elections in 2007
* Senate - the upper house
* Sejm - the lower house

External links

* [http://www.wybory2007.pkw.gov.pl/index_EN.html National Election Commission Results Site (in English)]
* [http://tractotheque.blogspot.com/search/label/Pologne%202007 Electoral leaflets and posters] , Tractotheque