Elections in Poland

Politics of Poland
Government Constitution of Poland Law Human rights
Legislature Parliament of Poland Current Parliament Sejm Marshal Szymon Hołownia (PL2050) Deputy Marshals Senate Marshal Małgorzata Maria Kidawa- Błońska (PO) Deputy Marshals
Executive President of Poland Andrzej Duda (I) Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk (PO) Cabinet Ministries
Judiciary Supreme Court of Poland First President Małgorzata Manowska Constitutional Tribunal President Julia Przyłębska Supreme Administrative Court State Tribunal
Elections Presidential Parliamentary Local Referendums
Political parties Major political parties Law and Justice Civic Platform Other parties
Administrative divisions Voivodeship voivodes marshals Counties (powiat) Communes (gmina) Cities and towns
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Radosław Sikorski Diplomatic missions of / in Poland Ambassadors
Related topics Economy History (political) Armed forces
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Poland has a multi-party political system. On the national level, Poland elects the head of state – the president – and a legislature. There are also various local elections, referendums and elections to the European Parliament.

Poland has a long history of public elections dating back several centuries, beginning with the elections to Sejm in Łęczyca (known as the First Sejm) in 1182. Notably, since the Sejm of 1493, Polish kings were obliged to call regular Sejms and regional elections (sejmiks) every two years. From 1573 until 1795 the state system of elective monarchy in Poland required the royal elections of monarchs as well during the Sejm proceedings.^[1]

The first modern and free elections in 20th-century Poland were held in 1919, two months after the country regained independence in 1918 after over a century of partition and occupation by foreign powers. After the Second World War, Poland fell into the Soviet sphere of influence as a satellite state and became controlled by the communists, who rigged the elections of 1947 to ensure they controlled the entire Polish government. There were regular elections in Poland from that time on; however, no elections until the groundbreaking elections of 1989, marking the fall of communism, were free. The Polish communists secured a majority of the lower house seats in 1989, but allowed opposition parties to take up seats.