Warsaw, Poland – In Poland’s first free parliamentary elections 14 years ago, dozens of political parties competed in the country’s chaotic introduction to modern democracy. Only one received more than 12 percent of the vote.
Today, Poles will choose their legislators for the fifth time since the end of Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and the number of political factions has dropped to a more manageable number.
But the campaign, notable for personal attacks and accusations of financial improprieties, illustrates how unsteady the transition to democratic politics has been.
Polls indicate that voters are inclined to oust the governing former Communist Party in favor of two center-right parties – the pro-business Civic Platform and the more conservative Law and Justice Party. Together, the two may claim as much as 80 percent of the tally.
A coalition involving the Civic Platform and Law and Justice would be likely to focus on shrinking the budget deficit and reducing taxes.
But the two parties are divided about the pace of giving up the nation’s currency, the zloty – which has surged through the summer – in favor of the euro.
Both parties must also address unemployment, which is at 18 percent nationally and even higher in rural areas.
