Summary of Poland’s election night
Donald Tusk, the former Polish prime minister and European Council president, claimed victory in Poland’s parliamentary election on Sunday, making the announcement just minutes after the polls closed, based on the results of an exit poll.
The exit poll showed Law and Justice (PiS) got 36.8% of the vote, Civic Coalition (KO) 31.6%, Third Way 13% and The Left (Lewica) 8.6%.
If confirmed, the result would mean that Civic Coalition, Third Way and The Left would have a majority in Poland’s parliament.
It appears that turnout hit a historic high.
Many Poles waited in long lines to vote. Past 1am local time there were still people voting in one polling station in Wrocław.
“We won democracy, we won freedom, we won our free beloved Poland … This day will be remembered in history as a bright day, the rebirth of Poland,” Tusk told supporters.
Jarosław Kaczyński, the PiS chair, said his party’s result was a big success but admitted “we don’t know” whether the party had a path to government. “Days of fight and tension await us,” he said.
European politicians who have been critical of Law and Justice’s policies celebrated the exit poll results, with experts saying that a Tusk victory would give Warsaw a much bigger voice on the European stage.
Another exit poll is expected to be published in the early morning hours, but the final outcome may only be available well into the day.
Read the full story here and stay tuned for updates on the Guardian site.
There is a lot of excitement among Polish opposition supporters tonight, after the publication of an exit poll suggesting the opposition has a path to forming a government. We are still waiting for more numbers.
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