Poland’s TVN television estimated that Civic Platform won in 10 regions, up from seven in 2018, and PiS was in the lead in six. However, other parties making up the incumbent ruling coalition are likely to have won enough regional seats to be able to control most regional assemblies, which are key bodies for managing tens of billions in EU funds. The official regional results are due Tuesday.
Tusk called the outcome a repeat of the October election that removed PiS from power, but then added: “Today we see that this road will not be easy, including in the future.”
Tusk pointed to the victory of Rafał Traskowski, who romped to a first round win with 59.8 percent support in a bid to be reelected mayor of Warsaw. Trzaskowski was the Civic Coalition’s presidential candidate in 2020, and is seen at the party’s likeliest candidate to run again next year.
PiS tends to do worse in the country’s large cities, which lean liberal. In Warsaw, its candidate Tobiasz Bocheński came in a distant second with 18.5 percent. PiS fared similarly poorly in other key cities of Kraków, Wrocław, and Gdańsk.
Sunday’s vote was the second election in six months. Poles are now preparing for June’s European election and the presidential vote in 2025.
