The Civic Coalition (KO) emerged victorious in the European Parliament elections in Poland, garnering 37.06 percent of the votes and securing 21 seats. The opposition Law and Justice (PiS) came in a close second with 36.16 percent of the vote, translating to 20 seats.
The right-wing Confederation Party claimed a strong third place with 12.08 percent of the vote and scoring 6 seats.
The Third Way alliance, which forms the ruling coalition, achieved 6.91 percent (3 seats), while the Left Party, also in a government coalition with KO, received 6.3 percent of the vote, also gaining 3 seats. Voter turnout was reported at 40.65 percent.
The KO’s victory was most pronounced in Warsaw and its surrounding areas, as well as in western and northern Poland. Among the newly elected MEPs from KO are notable figures form the Tusk government, such as Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, the former minister of culture known for his public media purges, as well as the former Justice Minister Marcin Kierwiński and former Minister of State Assets Borys Budka.
Meanwhile, PiS maintained strong support in its eastern and southern strongholds. Notably, PiS heavyweight and former CEO of Orlen, Daniel Obajtek, secured a mandate, although prominent PiS MEPs such as Anna Fotyga, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski and Witold Waszczykowski failed to win seats. Jacek Kurski, former head of public broadcaster TVP and a controversial figure, performed poorly, finishing sixth in his district despite his high ballot placement.
Two other Law and Justice (PiS) politicians, former ministers Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik, also secured seats in the European Parliament. Both were convicted in controversial verdicts and were pardoned twice by President Andrzej Duda.
The Confederation party will also see Grzegorz Braun in the European Parliament, having received over 100,000 votes. Braun made headlines last December when he extinguished a Hanukkah candle in the Polish parliament with a fire extinguisher.
Initial exit polls suggested a clear victory for the Civic Coalition with 38.2 percent of votes, compared to 33.9 percent for PiS. However, the gap narrowed in later polls. According to a late-night forecast, KO was projected to receive 37.4 percent of the votes, with PiS close behind at 35.9 percent, and the Confederation at 12 percent, closely aligning with the final results.
