Late Wednesday evening came the message from governing Law and Justice (PIS) party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski: The presidential election cannot be held, either through traditional voting in polling stations or by postal vote.

No new date for the election is stated, but the message posted on PIS's official Twitter account states that the Speaker of Parliament "will announce a new presidential election" as soon as possible.

The PIS has proposed that the elections should be carried out by postal vote instead of forcing the Polish people to the ballot boxes during the corona pandemic. That proposal was voted down in the Senate on Tuesday and the following day the PIS agreed with its coalition parties to move the election.

New team in progress

The PIS party top wanted to enter the last election now on Sunday, but during the week, high-ranking politicians in the Nationalist Party also raised votes to postpone it. With only days left until May 10, it is now also practically impossible to make safe and fair elections by postal vote on the postponed date.

The PIS has previously lifted both May 17 and May 24 as new dates, while the opposition wants to move the election months forward.

According to the PIS, the election, when held, will be carried out by postal vote, which, however, requires changes in the electoral laws. The PIS-controlled lower house sejm will on Thursday vote on a new bill, which would achieve it.

Duda in large cord

One reason for the PIS unwillingness to move the election is considered to be that the incumbent President Andrzej Duda - formally independent but supported by the PIS - is leading the way in opinion polls. The PIS had hopes that Duda would even get over 50 percent of the vote in the first round and that a second round would not be needed.

The opposition has complained that it has been virtually impossible to run an election campaign and that Duda is the only presidential candidate who has been able to travel around Poland and in conjunction with official commitments hold elections.