In the Monday morning late exit polls by IPSOS, PiS won, taking 33 percent of the total votes. Second was KO, with 26.7 and third was the peasant party PSL with 13.6 percent. SLD – United Left Alliance (postcommunists) 6.6 percent, Kukiz’15 took 5.9 percent of votes and independent candidates 5.8 percent.
PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński claimed election victory and declared that “this is a time for celebration”. He added that if the exit poll results were confirmed, the party was in a strong position to take power in local assemblies. “I would very much like that the upcoming election in Poland takes place in a better atmosphere,” adding that he hoped for “less fake news” in Polish politics.
I would very much like that the upcoming election in Poland takes place in a better atmosphere
PiS won in 9 out 16 regions but commentators say it is unclear yet in how many of them will actually be able to govern as a coalition of opposition parties may block the ruling party in Sejmiks and form the alliances.
Mayoral races won mostly by the opposition
PiS took losses mainly in large cities. In Warsaw, KO’s candidate Rafał Trzaskowski won by a landslide – 54.1 percent to PiS’ Patryk Jaki’s 30.9 percent.
According to exit polls by Ipsos for TVP, TVN and Polsat, PiS also lost in the first round in Łódź, Poznań, Białystok, Lublin and probably Wrocław, Opole and Katowice. Play-offs will be needed in two weeks in Gdańsk, Kraków, Kielce and others.
The final and official results will be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday.
According to the latest poll by Ipsos published on Monday morning the turnout for the elections was 53.35 percent which would make it the highest for this kind of elections since 1989.
