Poland's ruling eurosceptics score modest gains in regional vote

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party scored modest gains in regional government in Sunday’s election, an exit poll showed, a result likely to embolden the eurosceptic PiS in its conflict with the European Union over democratic standards.

People attend the Polish regional elections, at a polling station in Warsaw, Poland, October 21, 2018. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

PiS swept into power in 2015 on a promise of voter-pleasing welfare reforms, social conservatism and a bigger state role in the economy. It remains broadly popular, despite accusations at home and abroad of a shift toward authoritarian rule.

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The party won some 32.3 percent of votes for provincial assemblies, compared with 26.9 percent in a vote four years earlier. A coalition of centrist opposition parties was set to win some 24.7 percent, the poll by Ipsos pollster showed.

People attend the Polish regional elections, at a polling station in Warsaw, Poland, October 21, 2018. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

“This result bodes well for the parliamentary election,” PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said after the exit poll was released.

In the closely-watched race for mayor of the capital Warsaw, however, the PiS candidate, Patryk Jaki, 33, came in second place after Rafal Trzaskowski, 46, a pro-EU centrist.

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Final results of the election will be released by the electoral commission by the middle of the week.

The election is part of a larger battle over Europe’s future, as Brexit and Hungary’s Viktor Orban - who like PiS believes the EU’s powers should be reined in - shake up the bloc and right-wing parties make gains across the continent.

While exit poll results can not give a clear indication of how many of Poland’s 16 provincial assemblies will fall under PiS control, any gains will mean better access to local funding. That could affect a general election in 2019.

“I don’t believe in a liberal democracy, because it leads to anarchy,” said Stanisław Lawniczak, 68, a real estate manager who voted for PiS candidates in Warsaw.

Writing by Justyna Pawlak; editing by Richard Balmforth

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