INVITATION
The partner regions Wielkopolska and Hessen
cordially invite you to a lunchtime event
as part of the “Europe after the elections” series
Poland has voted
on Monday, 16 October 2023,
light lunch from 12:30 p.m., event starts at 1:00 p.m.
at the Multiple Regions House
Rue Montoyer 21 ∙ 1000 Brussels
Please register via this link.
Simultaneous interpretation into English/German/Polish.
Welcome
Joanna Kubiak
Acting Director, Wielkopolska Region Brussels Office
Presentation of the election results
Anna Słojewska
EU-Correspondent for the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita
Followed by
Dr Thomas Gutschker
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
in discussion with
Anna Słojewska
Parliamentary elections in Poland will take place on 15 October 2023. They are considered to be one of the most important elections in the EU this year and will undoubtedly have an impact on the local and regional vote in Poland next spring and the European elections in June. On the same day a referendum will take place consisting of questions that also relate to EU affairs.
The right-wing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) aspires to rule for the third term. There is a clear division of political sympathy between the western and eastern parts of the country, as is the case between liberal and pro-European large cities such as Warsaw and Poznań, and more conservative smaller towns and rural areas. According to the latest opinion polls, PiS leads with about 35% support.
The opposition formed two electoral coalitions. The ‘Civic Coalition (KO)‘ with the center-right ‘Civic Platform (PO)’, liberal ‘Nowoczesna (.N)’, social-democratic ‘Polish Initiative (IP)’ and ‘Agrounia’ as well as ‘Greens (Zieloni)’. The second coalition – Third Road – consists of Poland 2050 Szymon Hołownia and the ‘Polish Peoples’ Party (PSL)’. The other groups are ‘the Left (Lewica)’ and the far-right ‘Confederation (Konfederacja)’.
Will PiS obtain an absolute majority or will the opposition emerge stronger from the elections? Will the winner have to form a post-election coalition in order to form a stable government?
The Polish parliament consists of two chambers, a lower one – ‘Sejm’ with 460 deputies, and a higher one – ‘Senat’ composed of 100 senators. The electoral threshold is 5% and 8% for the electoral coalitions. The term of office of the Sejm and the Senat is four years. All citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote.
The “Europe after the elections” Series
Elections are not only relevant in a national context, but are also of growing significance with respect to European politics. Therefore, they are keenly followed by the increasingly pan-European media. Our series on “Europe after the elections” reflects this Europeanised public. In regular discussions with experts, we aim to shine the spotlight on these national elections in a European context.
* Please be advised that photos will be taken at this event. By participating, you allow the Representation of the State of Hessen to the EU and the event’s cooperation partners to photograph and use your likeness in the press, on websites, in social media (e.g. on Facebook and Twitter) and other publications.
