Poland’s parliamentary election Oct. 15 was a victory for the European Union (EU) and Ukraine, with the Law and Justice Party (PiS) losing its majority in Parliament after eight years of control in both the legislative and executive branches. At the same time, the Civic Platform (PO) under the leadership of Donald Tusk and its likely coalition partners, the Third Way political alliance, made gains, making Tusk the likely candidate to become the country’s next Prime Minister.
The ruling PiS party has had a rather strenuous relationship with the EU as of late, with the EU attempting to invoke Article 7, a measure which allows them to suspend voting rights for a member-state over “rule of law” concerns. On the other hand, Tusk, the former president of the European Council and prime minister, is very much in favor of Poland’s place within the EU. Tusk is also against the authoritarian shift Poland experienced under the incumbent government.
Not only do these election results allow Poland to begin returning to the EU, but they also allow the body to take greater action against Hungary, another member of the EU that has taken a turn towards authoritarianism in recent years. During the PiS’s tenure, both Poland and Hungary were able to serve as a veto for the other to hinder any extreme actions against either country; thus hindering the EU’s ability to enforce its rules and threaten its legitimacy. However, with these election results, this is likely to change.
Poland’s election is also good news for Ukraine. In recent months, Poland has begun to waver in its support for the Ukrainian war effort. With Ukraine still mired in conflict after almost two years, the potential loss of an ally so close to home would’ve had a major impact on EU efforts. With Tusk now likely to come into power, the future of support for Ukraine within Europe is much more secure.
Overall, Poland’s recent election has been a major victory for democracy. A government that has made a turn towards authoritarianism and attempted to subvert its judicial branch has lost its grip on that power, and the future of international support for Ukraine’s fight for its statehood is in a better place.
