Due to the Polish opposition’s complete rejection of any compromise with the government, authorities should consider a scenario where the presidential election takes place in August instead of May.
Civic Platform (PO) has generally made it clear that it will not accept any election date where it is not clear they have a chance to win.
In a sign of how far they will go to postpone the democratic process, former Civic Platform (PO) head Grzegorz Schetyna called postal voting a “total virus bomb” because it gives the possibility of the coronavirus spreading “through envelopes, letters and voting cards sent all around the country.”
Such a claim does not concern the security of Poles or the ability to conduct a campaign; this is about their political interest only.
Given such a situation, the government faces the difficult task of defending the constitution and ensuring a vote occurs in a timely manner. As Speaker of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek (PiS) rightly underlined, conducting the presidential elections is a responsibility, not a choice. Essentially, not holding them would be a constitutional tort.
Schetyna’s approach points to a political compromise being difficult to reach. The parliamentary majority, government and president cannot count on a compromise and will have to work alone.
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