Coronavirus: in Poland, the Minister of Health favors a postponement of the presidential election

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In Poland, despite the epidemic, which has just passed the milestone of 500 dead in the country, the ruling party, Law and Justice, absolutely wants to maintain the presidential election, scheduled for May 10. Parliament voted at first reading a bill establishing a postal vote for all voters, to limit the risk of contamination. But the Minister of Health, much listened to since the start of the epidemic, said Friday evening that it was safer to postpone the poll in two years, in 2022.

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with our correspondent in Warsaw, Thomas Giraudeau

Lukasz Szumowski has decided. For him, "  a postponement of the election in 2022 is the only sure option  ". Yet it is not his government's Plan A, but rather the second option being considered.

The idea was first rejected by the majority, before returning to discussions a few days ago and proposed by the PiS, the Law and Justice party, to Parliament.
But it is unlikely to be validated because it requires amending the Constitution.

And for this, the PiS must obtain the support of at least 70 opposition members of Parliament. Currently impossible: it does not want to extend the mandate of the current president, Andrzej Duda, by two years.

Friday evening, the Minister of Health did not completely disavow plan A of the majority: a universal vote, in May, by mail.
"  A postal ballot is certainly safer than a traditional election  ," he said.

► Read also : The choice of postal voting for the presidential divided in Poland

The PiS is doing everything right now so that the elections are held well on May 10 - the polls are very favorable to the outgoing president - with the printing of the ballot papers, and the collection of personal data of the voters from the town halls to send them newsletters. And all this illegally, because the law on postal voting has still not been definitively adopted.

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