PiS achieved a historic victory in the local elections, not only increasing their voter base by two million during a record turnout, it also won 15 out of 16 voivodeships, strengthening its social mandate.
Despite that, there is a sourness within the party, as it did not dominate parliament as it expected and the opposition’s Senate pact had succeeded in taking a majority away from PiS in the Upper House, although that might not last.
But a different process has begun – negotiations within the ruling party itself. Jarosław Gowin’s Porozumienie (the Agreement) and Zbigniew Ziobro’s Solidarna Polska (Solidarity of Poland), two parties which together with Law and Justice (PiS) form United Right, had left the elections strengthened and entered the Sejm with larger support, which carried over into wanting to increase their influence.
The media which do not sympathize with the government emphasize the “secret negotiations”, especially since PiS would lose its absolute majority without either of its coalitioners. This is a strategy meant to create a divide between members of the United Right. After all, during the previous term, the United Right was able to keep these conflicts under control and focus on governing, instead of themselves.
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