Opposition parties agree a senate pact before fall election

Civic Platform leader Donald Tusk, New Left co-chairmen Włodzimierz Czarzasty and Robert Biedroń, chairman of Polish People's Party (PSL) Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Poland 2050 leader Szymon Hołownia announed on Thursday they have formed a senate pact ahead of the parliamentary election scheduled for October 15.

Senator Zygmunt Frankiewicz informed at a joint press conference in the Senate that the work on the second edition of the senate pact came to an end.

"This doesn't mean there won't be any corrections, which are still being made due to unexpected events, for one thing, but we've reached an agreement regarding all 100 constituencies and that's crucial," the senator said.

He added the team responsible for the pact had spent a lot of time on their task. Frankiewicz then thanked the team members: Marcin Kierwiński, Piotr Zgorzelski, Michał Kobosko and Dariusz Wieczorek.

"The important things is, that after long preparations, we've reached the agreement, being driven primarily by optimization of the outcome, which is maximize the (election - edit.) result of opposition parties," he stressed.

"This is a very important day. It's significance is not merely practical. After very hard and intensive work, very substantial (work - edit.), we've agreed joint candidates for the senate pact - this exceptionally effective democratic project ahead the Senate election," said Civic Platform leader Donald Tusk.

I'm convinced that - just like we've managed to agree on a joint list to the Senate, with mutual respect, with understanding each other's arguments - it will also be easy for us establish cooperation after the election. After a won election, I'm convinced - so this responsibility will be even bigger," he added.

"We've proved we can find common ground ... It bodes well for the future," Włodzimierz Czarzasty said.

"I can assure you about one thing, about very, very hard work for the senate pact, for those 15 seats you have agreed to, so that the Left could, among others, take care for Warsaw, Katowice, Opole, Kielce, we will do all we can so for our common victory," he promised.

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the supporters of all parties that form the senate pact. "We will run with different committes, but none our parties will stand in each other's way in this Senate election," he said.

In his view, the senate pact will repeat the success from 2019. "This is a huge thing that back then you trusted and handed the control of the Senate to the democratic opposition. We haven't failed. I deeply believe that this time this group, which be even bigger after this election - will function even better," the PSL chief said.

"We are new here, but we're very glad to be part of this agreement, the senate pact, which is a reliable demonstration of what are very much about in politics. We care for the Third Way (The Third Way coalition between Poland 2050 and PSL - edit.), because we've established it to solve problems of the people, not politicians," Szymon Hołownia said.

In late-February 2023, representatives of Civic Coalition, Poland 2050, New Left, PSL, and Local Government Movement Yes! For Poland signed a declaration of entering into a senate pact in the next parliamentary election.

The parliamentary election has been scheduled for October 15. The Poles will elect 460 members of the Sejm (lower house) and 100 senate members (upper house). The parliamentary term in Poland is four years.