Local elections in Poland that were held on Sunday attracted attention of many international media outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post and Politico.
Unconquered moderate cities
Across the Atlantic, the New York Times wrote that the polls seem to suggest that the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party failed to convince more moderate voters to its vision, especially in the capital city of Warsaw.
According to the "NYT", the polls indicate "the party (PiS) did not appear to gain support in most of Poland’s other major cities. But it showed strength in poor and rural communities where its message has its deepest resonance".
The paper quotes Law and Justice’s chairman Jarosław Kaczyński who apart from being pleased with the overall nationwide results, complained about a "hostile environment" surrounding the campaign.
The authors also touch upon the problem of deep division of Poland that the exit polls seem to reflect. "Supporters of the government see its leaders as standing up for the nation’s sovereignty and protecting traditional Christian values," whereas "opponents see a party with increasingly authoritarian tendencies, dedicated to undermining democracy," wrote New York Times on Sunday.
Warning to the rulers
Politico wrote on Sunday that "the vote heralds a fierce contest for European and parliamentary elections in 2019". According to the portal, Law and Justice's "result was disappointing enough to put wind in the sails of the opposition".
"Polish voters sent a warning to Poland’s rulers in the first electoral test in three years," Politico wrote, mentioning at the same Jarosław Kaczyński's praise of the best-ever result in local elections.
According to Politico, "the ruling party put on a brave face," after the results have been announced, but Jarosław Kaczyński's address was a rather moderate one.
The article also mentions Civic Platform leader, Grzegorz Schetyna who is described as "a behind-the-scenes political operator with little personal charisma," who turns out to be real winner of the elections, as he managed to create "an effective anti-PiS" coalition.
Politico also underscores the division of Poland into supporters of Law and Justice, "who fervently back its anti-immigrant message leavened with bolstering national pride," and Civic Coalition's voters being "urban liberals who formed Poland’s traditional ruling and business class in the quarter century of post-communist transformation".
The author makes an important observation and writes that "polarization has created two big camps, making smaller parties largely irrelevant".
Twist of fortune
The Washington Post sees the initial results of the local elections in Poland as a sign of Law and Justice's (PiS) full-speed-ahead cruise coming to an end.
"Poland’s populist ruling party has seen its fortunes turn after nearly three years of aggressive governing and vast popularity," reads the article.
The reason behing this conclusion lies in the fact that, at least in the exit polls, PiS have failed to take over the prestigious big cities.
According to Washington Post, "a level of support like it secured Sunday, if repeated in other elections over the next 18 months, could threaten Law and Justice’s pursuit of even greater power".
That power is what the party needs to push through all the reforms reflecting its "Poland-first" worldview, reads the article.
"The results underline how deeply divided Poland is between liberal cities and the conservative rural areas, and between the more liberal western half of the country and the conservative east," the Washington Post argues.
Although this division is rather disturbing, there might be a silver lining in it, as the turnout amounted to over 54 percent, "suggesting many have been mobilized in these divisive times".
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International, New York Times, Politico, Washington Post