A change of power in Poland could mean repairing the country’s EU relations, academy researcher Timo Miettinen estimates. However, the parties disagree on, for example, economic matters.
The Polish opposition, led by the Civic Forum, would seem to get a clear majority in the country’s parliamentary elections. Based on the preliminary results, the opposition parties are getting 248 MP seats out of 460 seats.
The opposition coalition has a better chance of forming a government than the right-wing conservative Law and Justice government party, Academy researcher at the University of Helsinki Timo Miettinen reviews in the morning. Although Poland is a politically very divided country, the opposition agrees on many issues.
– The elections were not really about individual issues, but about what is the future of Poland. “Perhaps the biggest decision was made between the conservative, autocratic Hungarian way and the softening European way,” says Miettinen in ‘s morning.
In particular, Miettinen believes that the relationship between Poland and the EU could become closer when there is a change of power. Fines and other financial sanctions imposed on Poland for violating the rule of law would be reduced.
Another EU country, Hungary, could also lose Poland’s alliance, Miettinen estimates. Until now, the countries have taken each other’s side in the EU.
Also a researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute of the University of Helsinki Katalin Miklossy believes that the Citizens’ Coalition will mend the differences with the EU, even though the party represents more of a center-right than a liberal line.
– It is easier to fix the rule of law problems in Poland than in Hungary. Media and non-governmental organizations are not controlled in the same way in Poland, Miklossy compares.
However, simply opposing the Law and Justice party is not necessarily enough to form a government coalition, Miettinen states. The opposition parties are on different lines when it comes to economic issues, for example.
– The danger of large coalitions is that it is difficult to keep them together in everyday decision-making. In this case, there is a danger that if the new government coalition falls apart, Law and Justice and the extreme right will come rushing back to power, says Miklossy.
See the whole discussion in Areena.
Read more:
Analysis: Power seems to be changing in Poland after a tough election campaign, the direction of the country could change dramatically
According to a door-to-door poll, the opposition is about to win the Polish elections, even though the ruling party got the most votes