Presidential election in Poland: will the country continue its conservative turn?

Audio 01:18

In Warsaw, Poland, June 26, 2020, before the presidential election on Sunday. Agencja Gazeta / Adam Stepien via REUTERS

Text by: Thomas Giraudeau Follow

Will Poland continue its conservative turn? This is the stake of the presidential election which is held this Sunday. According to all the polls, we are heading for a second round, in 15 days, between the outgoing president, the ultra-conservative Andrzej Duda, supported by the ruling party, and the liberal mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski. In Poland, the President of the Republic has relatively few powers. But he can veto all laws passed in Parliament. If an opposition candidate is elected, a deadlock situation will certainly arise. So, on both sides of the political spectrum, voters understood the importance of this election. Record participation is predicted.

Publicity

Read more

From our correspondent in Warsaw,

At least 70% of voters plan to go to the polls according to polls.
Beating a record established 25 years ago. Krzysztof Jurek will vote for President Duda to preserve, he says, a traditional Poland: “  Our president is pro-Catholic, and I am a believer, Catholic. It protects us from structures, from people who I think will harm our Polish nation. Like LGBT people who threaten our children in schools.  "

A theory repeated by Andrzej Duda and his supporters. Their opponent, Rafal Trzaskowski, signed a charter in Warsaw offering sex education courses, where all directions would be addressed.

The ultra-conservatives denounce a "perversion of children by an LGBT ideology". Barbara Milan wants to sanction the president for his words: “  He spoke of LGBT ideology as if it were not about people. This man has a doctorate, he can't speak to people saying that. So I will vote for the slightest harm, that is to say for Trzaskowski. Poles must wake up, see that they are being deceived. Let’s move towards a system like in Hungary.  "

The opposition is concerned about an authoritarian drift. Andrzej Duda and his party control the public media, take over the justice system. If Rafal Trzaskowski is elected, he could veto laws, and end the monopolization of power.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Poland

On the same subject

Analysis

Poland: a very open presidential election

European accents

Eastern European elections: ruling parties tighten the screw