Inflation in the European Union in September 2023 dropped to 4.9% year on year against 5.9% in August - according to the latest data released by Eurostat on Wednsday (Oct. 18). The Netherlands is currently experiencing deflation. Hungary, on the other hand, has recorded the highest inflation in the whole bloc. Moreover, this is the only EU state with inflation level in double digits.

The United States looks forward to working with Poland's next government after Sunday's election, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a post on X on Tuesday (Oct. 17). Election results from Poland showed the ruling nationalists losing their parliamentary majority to a liberal pro-EU party and its allies. The previous day, U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski had said the record voter turnout "is a strong manifestation of the importance the Polish people attach to freedom and democracy".

The president has time for that - President Andrzej Duda's aide Paweł Szrot asked when the head of state would start political consultations aimed at appointing a new government. Szrot added that candidate for prime minister is put forward by parliamentary majority, "but we still need to wait this majority". In his view, "we can already see first disputes among the opposition parties". "Everything suggests it will actually take a while," the aide said.

Poland's president should move swiftly to allow the formation of a new government, Donald Tusk, leader of the Civic Coalition (KO), said on Tuesday, after official election results showed his liberal pro-EU party and its allies winning a majority. "The winning democratic parties are in ongoing contact and are ready to take over the responsibility for governing the country anytime now," Tusk added.

The National Electoral Commission (PKW) has published the final results of the 2023 parliamentary election. We now know how the distribution of seats in the Sejm will look like. According to tvn24.pl calculation based on the PKW data, the democratic opposition groupings have won a combined majority of 248 seats, with the absolute majority at 231.

The Senate Pact, an alliance between democratic opposition groupings, has won 66 out of 100 seats in the Senate, the upper house of the Polish parliament. Law and Justice has won the remaining 34 seats.

The final results of the 2023 parliamentary results have been announced. The National Electoral Commission (PKW) on Tuesday (Oct. 17) announced the data collected from 100% of constituencies. According to PKW, Law and Justice has won 35.38% of votes, Civic Coalition - 30.70%, Third Way - 14.40%, New Left - 8.61%, and Confederation - 7.16%. The official result closely resemble the final late poll published by the Ipsos pollster, according to which democratic opposition groupings can win a combined parliamentary majority of 249 seats in the Sejm.

The OSCE observers, who in recent weeks were monitoring Poland the course of the election campaign and the vote itself, said in a statement that the election process "took place in a complex and polarized political environment". The OSCE added that "while freedoms of association and assembly were respected in a pluralistic campaign, it was marred by the misuse of state resources". The observers also mentioned "the erosion of checks and balances to gain further control over state institutions by the governing party, including the courts and the public media".

President Andrzej Duda has given his first public comment since the end of the parliamentary election on Sunday. He thanked the Poles for the record high turnout. "Yesterday we showed we are responsibly taking matters in our own hands," Duda said on Monday (Oct. 16) in the Vatican during a visit marking the 45th anniversary of John Paul II's election to papacy.

Democratic opposition has a chance to win 249 seats in the Sejm - according to the final late poll released by Ipsos. Law and Justice (PiS) can win 196 seats in the lower house, while Civic Coalition - 158. Three other groupings would also pass the minimum threshold: Third Way, New Left, and Confederation. The National Electoral Commission (PKW) on Monday (Oct. 16) afternoon announced partial results of the parliamentary vote held the on Sunday.

"This truly is a huge success for our formation and our project for Poland," the ruling PiS party chairman Jarosław Kaczyński said during Sunday's (Oct. 15) parliamentary election night. "But of course, we are still facing the question of whether we can turn this success into the next term as the ruling party. And this is something we still don't know," he said in a speech after the the first exit poll had been announced by Ipsos.

"Poland has won. Democracy has won. We removed them (PiS) from power," Civic Platform Leader Donald Tusk said after Ipsos released the first exit poll after Sunday's (Oct. 15) parliamentary election. He added that "this result can still be better". "But today we can already say that this is the end of this bad time. This is the end of the PiS government," the former prime minister stressed.

Democratic opposition stands a chance to form a ruling coalition with 248 seats - according to Ipsos exit poll released after Poland's parliamentary election on Sunday (Oct. 15). If the final result of the vote matches the exit poll, the ruling Law and Justice party would win the highest number of seats in the lower house of parliament - 200, while Civic Coalition - 163. Three more groupings would have their MPs in the new Sejm: Third Way, New Left, and Confederation. According to Ipsos, the voter turnout was 72.9%.

Inflation in September 2023 was at 8.2% compared to the corresponding month last year, according to Poland's Central Statistical Office (Statistics Poland). Compared to August 2023, consumer prices in Poland decreased by 0.4%. In August 2023, inflation in year-on-year terms stood at 10.1%.

The Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, led a multi-confessional prayer for peace in Warsaw's city center on Friday (October 13). Schudrich said that after the attacks and Hamas' call for attacks on Israeli civilians, all he could do was go out and pray in public. He added that abducting an elderly woman, "who survived the Holocaust," is not representative of Islam.

Civic Coalition, Third Way, and New Left stand a chance to win a combined 250 seats in the lower house of parliament, according to the latest Kantar poll for "Fakty" TVN and TVN24. PiS and Confederation would secure 209 seats in the Sejm, with the absolute majority necessary to pass laws at 231.

Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak has criticized retired generals who run in the parliamentary election on opposition lists. The Poles, on the other hand, are very critical of the PiS government. According to the majority of respondents in the latest Kantar poll for "Fakty" TVN and TVN24, PiS has been using the military in its election campaign. 77 percent of those surveyed claim that the military should remain apolitical.

Poland and the Czech Republic will extend temporary controls on their borders with Slovakia into November as countries seek to restrict the flow of illegal migrants.

Poland plans to cancel voting in Tel Aviv for Oct. 15 parliamentary elections due to ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas, the Polish foreign ministry said on Wednesday (Oct. 11).

"General Pulaski’s heroism represents just one of the countless contributions that Polish people have made to promote liberty around the world - contributions we continue to see today," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a proclamation marking this year's October 11 General Pulaski Memorial Day.

The majority of respondents in the latest Kantar poll for "Fakty" TVN and TVN24 think that the policy pursued by the Law and Justice (PiS) government is moving Poland towards the exit from the European Union. 32 percent of those asked said that PiS actions are making Poland's position in the EU stronger.

66 percent of respondents think that the Polish public TV broadcaster Telewizja Polska (known in English as Polish Television), which financed with public money, is either definitely or probably not a reliable source of information - according to the latest Kantar poll carried out for "Fakty" TVN and TVN24. 29 percent of those surveyed expressed the opposite opinion.

Two top Polish army commanders resigned on Tuesday (Oct. 10), spokespeople said, days before an election in which the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has made national security a key issue in its bid for an unprecedented third term in power. Later that day, President Andrzej Duda appointed Lieutenant General Wiesław Kukuła as chief of staff and Major General Maciej Klisz as armed forces operational commander.

Poland, in cooperation with Greece, has launched an evacuation bridge for Polish tourists in Israel - the Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak said on Monday (Oct. 9).

World number two Iga Świątek eased to a WTA Tour-leading fifth title this year by crushing unseeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 6-2 in the China Open final on Sunday to tighten her battle with Aryna Sabalenka for the year-end number one spot.

Poland and Hungary blocked a symbolic European Union statement about migration on Friday but other leaders gathered at a summit in Spain said they were continuing overhauling the bloc's rules for handling irregular arrivals anyway.

The Dutch ambassador to Poland has been summoned to the foreign ministry over the treatment of Polish citizens after Thursday's soccer match in Alkmaar between Legia Warsaw and AZ Alkmaar, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jabłoński said on Friday.

The level of safety of women giving birth has decreased under the PiS government - according to 45% of respondents in the latest poll conducted by Kantar for "Fakty" TVN and TVN24. 13% of those asked expressed the opposite view.

Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country rejected what he said was a European Union plan to accept "illegal migrants" and punish members who refused to cooperate as he arrived for a summit of the bloc in Spain on Friday (October 6). Warsaw refuses to host new arrivals from the Middle East and Africa, although Poland has given shelter to several million Ukrainians who fled Russia's invasion.