We realized how important these elections are. This was truly a breakthrough election, said political scientist Dr. Anna Materska-Sosnowska on Monday morning in the “WSTAsz i pozna” program on TVN24, commenting on the poll results of the parliamentary elections. Professor Ewa Łętowska emphasized that the turnout in these elections was “impressive”. – People felt the agency of their own actions – she said.
The democratic opposition has a chance of winning 248 seats in the Sejm, according to a late poll by Ipsos. The study shows that Law and Justice can count on 198 seats, and the Civic Coalition on 161. Third Road, the Left and Confederation also enter the Sejm. According to Ipsos, voter turnout was 72.9 percent.
The election results were commented on Monday morning on TVN24 by Dr. Anna Materska-Sosnowska, a political scientist from the University of Warsaw and the Stefan Batory Foundation, and prof. Ewa Łętowska, retired judge of the Constitutional Tribunal and the first Ombudsman.
Prof. Łętowska: impressive turnout
Professor Ewa Łętowska admitted that the turnout in these elections was “impressive”. – What offended me the most during the campaign, the entire hateful strategy chosen by the government, turned out to be useful here – she said. She explained that it mobilized those for whom politics “as such is uninteresting” but who “have had enough.”
– People felt the agency of their own actions – she said.
Prof. Łętowska: the hateful strategy chosen by the government turned out to be useful TVN24
Dr. Anna Materska-Sosnowska noted that “even in the presidential elections there was no such turnout, which are much simpler.” – I think we have realized how important these elections are – she added. She expressed the opinion that “this was truly a breakthrough election.”
– Now we were fully aware of the consequences of staying at home and not voting – said the political scientist.
Prof. Łętowska: the president’s decisions are unexamined
The election of the government after the parliamentary elections is described in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. This can be done in three steps. In the first step, the president designates the prime minister and appoints the government, which must win a vote of confidence in the Sejm expressed by an absolute majority of votes. If this fails, in the second step, the Sejm chooses the prime minister and the government, and in the third step – again the president, but this time a vote of confidence requires only a simple parliamentary majority, not an absolute majority. If a government is not formed at any of these stages, the president must shorten the term of office of the Sejm and order new elections.
READ MORE ON KONKRET24: Rule without a majority in the Sejm? Government election scenarios
Prof. When asked who she thought would receive the mission of forming a new government from President Andrzej Duda, Łętowska replied: – The president’s decisions are unexamined.
– I don’t know what the president will do. I know that he announced that he would entrust the mission of forming the government to the person with the best electoral result. Well, we don’t have that result yet. Let’s wait calmly, she appealed.
She warned that there are many opportunities to “muddy the waters” after the elections.
Kaczyński: we will do everything possible to continue implementing our program – despite the coalition that is against us TVN24
“No winner says on stage we will win, we just won”
– Remember that there are still days of struggle ahead of us, days of various types of tensions – said Jarosław Kaczyński, president of PiS, after the announcement of the exit poll results.
– No winner says on stage we will win, we just won – commented Materska-Sosnowska.
In her opinion, the government will be formed in the second step. – Of course (the government – ed.) will do everything possible to pull it off in time. And to make the most of the deadlines as they are. So, in fact, we probably won’t find out the government until December, predicted the political scientist.
Main photo source: Tomasz Pietrzyk / Agencja Wyborcza.pl