Poland's ruling nationalists appear to have won the most seats in Sunday's general election, but lost their parliamentary majority, potentially opening the way for opposition parties to seize power in what would be a huge political shift.
According to the Ipsos poll, the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) is set to win 36.6 percent of the vote, with the liberal centrist opposition Civic Coalition (KO) on 31 percent. Centre-right Third Way was third with 13.5 percent, New Left had 8.6 percent and the far-right Confederation were on 6.4 percent.
If those results are confirmed, PiS would have 200 lawmakers in the 460-seat parliament, well short of a parliamentary majority.
Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition therefore has a chance of forming a coalition in what would be a huge shift in Poland’s political landscape.
Tusk, a former European Council president, is aiming to end eight years of PiS rule under leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
Election officials said turnout was more than 72 percent, the highest since the fall of communism in 1989.
Tusk was jubilant following the announcement of the first exit poll results.
"Democracy has won ... This is the end of the bad times, this is the end of the PiS government," he told party members.
However, Tusk and his allies from the centre-right Third Way and the New Left may have to wait weeks or even months before getting a turn at forming a government.
President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, has said he would give the first shot to the winning party, suggesting Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki or another party leader would have the chance first.
But with the far-right Confederation scoring 6.2 percent, below expectations, he will have few obvious allies, experts said.
Kaczynski, 74, told officials gathered at the party's headquarters in central Warsaw that it was not clear whether Sunday's showing would translate into a new term in office.
"We have to have hope that regardless of whether we are in power or in opposition, our project will continue ... We will not let Poland lose ... the right to decide its own fate."
Poland has repeatedly clashed with the European Union over the rule of law, media freedom, migration and LGBT rights since the nationalist PiS came to power in 2015.
Opposition parties have vowed to mend ties with Brussels and undo reforms that critics say undermine democratic standards.
(with Reuters)
