According to initial predictions, Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal-conservative citizens’ coalition will win the European elections in Poland by a wide margin.
Tusk’s party is expected to get 38.2%, according to post-election polls by the Ipsos opinion research institute.
The Citizens Coalition is expected to be able to send 21 lawmakers to the European Parliament. “We have been waiting exactly 10 years for the first place on the podium. I am so happy,” said a visibly moved Tusk on Sunday evening.
The largest opposition party, the national conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS), came second with 33.9% of the vote. It is therefore expected that PiS will be represented by 19 MEPs.
The third strongest party was the radical right Confederation with 11.9%, or six MEPs.
The last two places were taken by the two smaller coalition partners, who together with Tusk’s party form the center-left government. The Christian Democratic Third Way got 8.2%, or four MEPs, and the left-wing alliance got 6.6% of the vote and will have three MEPs.
Poland’s electoral commission said turnout was 28.2% at 5pm (3pm GMT).
