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Opposition leader Tusk wins most votes among new Polish MPs

18.10.2023 09:30
Opposition leader Donald Tusk won the most votes among the new set of Polish MPs that voters elected on Sunday, news media have reported.
Opposition leader Donald Tusk casts his ballot in Sundays vote.
Opposition leader Donald Tusk casts his ballot in Sunday's vote.Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

Tusk, a former prime minister and former European Union president, garnered 538,634 votes while running for the lower house of parliament in the capital Warsaw.

Among key Polish politicians, Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, won 177,228 votes in the south-central region of Świętokrzyskie, and conservative Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki won 117,064 in the southern city of Katowice, state news agency PAP reported.

Poland's conservative leader Jarosław Kaczyński poses as he votes at a polling station in Warsaw on Sunday. Poland's conservative leader Jarosław Kaczyński votes at a polling station in Warsaw on Sunday. Photo: PAP/Tomasz Gzell
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki casts his vote in Poland's parliamentary election on Sunday, October 15, 2023. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki casts his vote in Poland's general election on Sunday, October 15, 2023. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

Meanwhile, Adam Szłapka, a lawmaker with Poland’s largest opposition bloc, the Civic Coalition, and the leader of the liberal Nowoczesna (Modern) party, was supported by a hefty 149,064 voters in the western city of Poznań, according to the PAP news agency.

Adam Szłapka Adam Szłapka. Photo: Tomasz Gzell/PAP

In other results, centre-left opposition politician Barbara Nowacka garnered 139,52 votes in the Baltic city of Gdynia, while conservative Culture Minister Piotr Gliński gained 135,339 in Warsaw.

Barbara Nowacka Barbara Nowacka. Photo: PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk
Piotr Gliński Piotr Gliński. Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak

Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak was supported by 127,578 voters in the Warsaw area, and conservative lawmaker Małgorzata Wassermann garnered 125,786 votes in the southern city of Kraków.

Mariusz Błaszczak Mariusz BłaszczaK. Photo: Przemysław Chmielewski/PR
Małgorzata Wassermann Małgorzata Wassermann. Photo: Wojciech Kusiński/Polish Radio 

Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek won 121,686 votes in the eastern city of Lublin.

Przemysław Czarnek Przemysław Czarnek. Photo: gov.pl

Poland's ruling conservatives won the country's October 15 election, but lost a parliamentary majority, according to the final official results of the vote, an outcome that means the opposition is more likely to take power.

Polish voters went to the ballot box on Sunday to choose 460 MPs and 100 senators for a four-year term.

(gs)

Source: PAP/PAP, wnp.pl