A majority of young Poles can be described as conservatives when it comes to their worldview, according to “The Political Portrait of Young Poles” report.
The report, prepared by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in cooperation with the Indicator Market Research Center, revealed that despite the stereotype that liberal attitudes have a crushing advantage among people aged 18-30, the majority of Poles surveyed oppose the introduction of civil unions (62.6 percent), liberalizing abortion laws (59.8 percent), legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes (89.4 percent), and abolishing the ban on Sunday trading (78 percent).
It is worth noting that young women are more likely to oppose the liberalization of laws protecting human life in the prenatal phase than young men, with rates for these groups at 63 percent and 57 percent, respectively.
“There are communities that believe most young Polish women want to liberalize abortion law because they hear such voices in their filter bubbles. However, the reality is different,” commented Adam Kądziela, one of the authors of the report.
Kądziela emphasized that young Poles are a difficult group of voters to characterize because their views are not always consistent. This is not surprising, given that 61.2 percent of respondents distance themselves from the traditional left-right divide.
Although conservative attitudes dominate in ideological matters, 80 percent of respondents support the separation of the Catholic Church and the state, while 73.7 percent support the idea that the state should fight inflation by reducing social spending and raising interest rates. On the other hand, 74 percent oppose the abolition of the “500+” social program.
Regarding political preferences, the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party enjoys the greatest support among young Poles with 27 percent of intended voters planning to vote for it. The Civic Coalition came in second with 24.7 percent support, followed by the right-wing Confederation with 19.2 percent, left-wing Razem with 14.1 percent, and the PSL-Poland 2050 with 9.6 percent.
“This group of young voters may be the swing vote in the coming elections. Whoever mobilizes them more effectively will be the winner,” Kądziela said. “I think we will see parties change their narratives to meet young people’s expectations. I particularly expect this from the politicians of the Confederation. Our research showed that the supporters of this party are not as radical as its leaders,” concluded Kądziela.
