Strong support for right-wing nationalists in Poland

Support for Kaczynski's party was larger than expected and is just under 50 percent, 49.3 percent, according to the latest vote count. It gives the governing party a clear majority of the mandate in Parliament's lower house, the Sejm. The party has increased by as much as 11.7 percentage points compared to the last election, if the figures stand.

The largest opposition group, the Liberal Conservative Citizens Coalition, receives 22.3 percent, the left coalition Lewica 10.9 percent and the electoral coalition PSL / Kukiz's 15 9.8 percent. The extreme right party Confederation has 6.6 percent of voter support.

PIS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski quickly proclaimed victory.

- We have four years of hard work ahead of us. Poland needs to change more and for the better, Kaczynski told supporters in the Warsaw party headquarters on Sunday night according to AFP.

Voter turnout was unusually high for Polish conditions with 61 percent, compared to just over 50 percent in the last election. In Sweden, 87.2 percent of those entitled to vote participated in the last parliamentary election.

The winning government party Law and Justice, PIS, has implemented economic reforms that have benefited many voters. The government introduced an extensive child allowance in 2016, which was expanded this year. Pensions have also been raised. The Polish economy is doing well and many Poles consider themselves to have been better off under Law and Justice.

The PIS has promised more economic reforms, such as tax exemption for young people under 26. The promises also include a 13th pension month and sharply increased minimum wages.

The Polish government has faced harsh criticism from both the opposition in the country and from the EU. Poland has implemented changes in the judicial system, including a reform that will increase political influence over the courts, but has partly been reversed. The political control of the public service media has been criticized by the EU. In Poland, however, there are also many private media companies.

Even in the elections to the European Parliament last spring, the party went ahead with almost double the number of seats.