The Party of European Socialists (PES) congratulates its member party Lewica for its strong showing at the general election in Poland and welcomes clear signs that opposition parties will oust the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party from power.
The combined opposition forces – comprising Civic Coalition, Third Way and Lewica – have secured a majority in the Sejm. Turnout was the highest in Polish history, at 74%.
PES President Stefan Löfven said:
“15 October will be remembered as the day Poland returned to the centre of Europe. Voters have closed the door on eight destructive years of PiS government. This is a vote for change. It brings new hope for Poland, domestically and for its place as a constructive partner in Europe.
“I congratulate Lewica and the whole opposition for a strong campaign. PiS threw everything at this election, using every unfair trick they could. But you made it. I hope that you can move forward quickly. What matters is that Poles voted clearly for political forces who are pro-European, constructive, democratic.”
Lewica secured 8.6% of the vote. Provisional results indicate it will secure 26 seats in the Sejm, a crucial contribution to the opposition, which is expected to number 248 seats. The majority to form a government is 231 seats.
Alongside PiS, electors handed defeat to the nationalistic party Konfederacja, which was polling at 14% three months ago but secured just 7.6% of the vote on Sunday.
