Posted on 07/17/2020 5:23:07 AM PDT by Cronos
Hi, Cronos presented the candidates in few posts above.
Actually, all but one candidates are somewhat conservative, be it socially or economically. Really left wing candidate got 2% of votes. Left wing parties are outside of parlimemt for few years now. This presidential election was a fight between a more pro-US, more socially conservative, bigger welfare candidate and a pro-EU, more free market (although this is debatable imho) candidate. Political situation is more about how conservatives and centrists organize the political scene. Left is marginal.
Poland divided as right-wing populists win again
When the liberals win by 0.5%, nobody ever says a country is divided.
Where do the major parties stand on immigration and defending western civilization?
To me that’s the overriding issue today.
Poland is NOT torn between left and right. The LEFT-left, communists etc. get 2% of the vote.
PiS which is Duda is socially conservative but doesn't DO much for it, just says a lot (think RINO), economically left (big government, lots of welfare) - that's a win with the electorate. They have 48% to 52% of the electorate
PO is socially liberalISH but doesn't DO much for it, just talks (think DINO), economically rightISH (but they won't roll back the welfare state). They were big until PiS came up with 500zł for each kid. Plus they had a charismatic leader in Donald Tusk. Trzaskowski is charismatic, but far less capable than Tusk. These guys get 25% to 30% of the vote
PSL is the farmers party and has a fixed vote bank of 2.5% approximately
The new and upcoming "party" is actually a coalition of various "right" parties - it is called "Konfederacja" or confederation. It's been in place since 2016 and the failure of a guy called Kukiz to actually make any change.
Konfederacja has been rising from 5% in the previous elections in 2019 to 7% now with Bosak. It is conservative and fiscally open with a smaller welfare state. This is the classic "rightist" party
The LEFT - ex-commies were represented by Biedron, a homosexual mayor of Ślupsk (the only homosexual mayor in Poland) - and they got 2% of the vote. They have been falling in vote levels steadily.
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So this vote was between
1. a socially rightISH and fiscally leftISH candidate and
2. a socially leftISH and fiscally rightiSH candidate
A lot of people who are RIGHT are not comfortable with PiS -- that includes me, they are fiscally irresponsible, big government and corrupted (the other party PO is also equally corrupt)
Ok, Duda was a shoo-in to win before COVID struck - his opponents were lacklustre
But then covid came and even though DUDA did good, the candidate from PO (the main opposition party) was replaced with a young, charismatic,good-looking dude (with little real governing experience)
Duda then put the election plank of Karta Rodzina - family card, which is to say he would stop homosexual propaganda in schools and give parents more rights in stopping that being pushed to parents
It sounds really good, but the tricky thing is that for the past 5 years PiS has done nothing to stop this slow creep and they came up with this just to win the election - let's see if they actually implement
you do realize that Duda and PiS aren’t going to talk Poland out of the EU, right?
PiS (Duda's party) - says it wants Polonia (overseas expats) immigrants, Ukrainian/Belarussian temporary workers, but in reality has invited tons of Indians etc. as guest workers - and due to the hassle in getting identity cards, most leave in a year and contribute little to the economy but also lose a lot of money. PiS is all talk, but little actually done
PO (Trzaskowski's party) - ostensibly the same as PiS but says it is more pro-immigration. In reality it does nothing for immigrants or to aim immigrants. PO is all talk, but little actually done
PSL - farmer's party - loves cheap labour imports for farming - so Ukrainians or Indians. But doesn't say it out aloud.
Konfederacja - against immigration from anyone other than Polonia (descendants of Poles)
the Left (commies who won 2% of the vote) - say they are pro-immigration. In reality they have no representation in parliament and are losing pretty much everywhere, so irrelevant
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Defending western values
PO and PiS say they are defending western values
Konfederacja says the same as does PO/PiS - but will more likely stick to it
the left- who cares? They are irrelevant
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