Poland postpones May 10 presidential election

Text by: RFI Follow

Originally scheduled for Sunday, the presidential election has finally been postponed, as the opposition has been demanding for weeks. Late in the evening, the strongman of the country and leader of the ruling party, Droit et Justice, agreed with one of his allies in Parliament to postpone the polls this summer, a priori in July or August. 

Publicity

With our correspondent in Warsaw,Thomas Giraudeau

For days, many scenarios have been contemplated. State of natural disaster decreed, with automatic postponement of the election. Even a resignation of the current president, Andrzej Duda, to adjourn the presidential election . It is finally a political agreement, revealed in the night from Wednesday to Thursday, which puts an end to this very long suspense.

The two, Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Gowin, agreed to a mail-in election postponed this summer. The first, head of the Law and Justice party, saved his majority by yielding to the second, who wanted an adjournment of the ballot. 

Members of Parliament for Gowin were indispensable in approving the bill to establish a postal election. If the election was not postponed, they would reject it and therefore create a serious crisis within the majority. Forced and forced, Jaroslaw Kaczynski agreed to adjourn the poll. 

It should not take place before July. No later than August 6, the day the term of the current head of state, Andrzej Duda, ends. In the ranks of the ruling party, we would look for July 12. It is the president of the lower house who will decide the date. 

Newsletter With the Daily Newsletter, find the headlines directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• Poland
• Coronavirus

On the same subject

Poland: Presidential election amid Covid-19 epidemic

International reporting

Presidential election in Poland: portrait of outgoing President Andrzej Duda

European accents

Europe: inequalities are widening