“PO wins, PiS strong,” headlines Gazeta Wyborcza a day after local and regional elections in Poland. With 90% of the votes counted, the ruling Civic Platform (PO) leads on 31.4%, ahead of the main opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), at 23.1%. The Left Democratic Alliance (SLD) garnered 15.3% while the Polish Peasants Party (PSL) won 15.7%. Civic Platform candidates have won in a number of big cities including Warsaw, while PiS came out strong in the poor, eastern part of the country. According to Gazeta Wyborcza’s editorial, the election showed that “contrary to opinion polls, neither PO is that strong nor PiS that weak.” As a consequence, Poland “remains dramatically divided”. And it seems it will remain so at least until next year’s parliamentary elections.
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