June 7, 2009 (2009-06-07) 2014 → 1 June 2003 18 January 2003 25 15 | Turnout 24.53% 15 seats, 24,1% 7 seats, 12,67% +10 +8 | |
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The European Parliament election of 2009 in Poland was the election of the delegation from Poland to the European Parliament in 2009 which took place on 7 June 2009. On 13 February the Sejm (the lower house of the Polish parliament) accepted a proposal for an amendment to the electoral court act to allow voting for the European Parliament election of 2009 to take place over 2 days i.e. the 6 and 7 June 2009. However, on 5 March, the proposal was referred to the Constitutional Tribunal of the Republic of Poland by the Polish President, Lech Kaczyński.
Contents
The Polish electorate elected 50 MEPs. In the 27 EU Member States, at total of 736 MEPs were elected from 4–7 June 2009.
Outcome
As anticipated, the Civic Platform (PO) won a significant victory, winning more than 44% of the vote and gaining half of the total seats. PO's vote was higher than their 41.5% achieved at the Polish parliamentary election, 2007, and to date was the highest vote achieved by a Polish political party to either the Sejm (national legislature) or the European Parliament. Law and Justice (PiS), came second (27.4%), having more than doubled their vote and seats won as compared to the 2004 EU election, but their vote fell, in comparison to the national elections of 2007. PO polled strongest in the western half of Poland, whilst PiS polled best in the eastern half, particularly the south-east.
The largest grouping on the left, the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union (SLD-UP) came in at a distant third with 12.3% of the vote and seven seats. At one time, the biggest party in Poland, the Democratic Left Alliance's vote was fairly static over the past five years, and they have been unable to challenge the dominance of PO and PiS, since 2005. The Polish People's Party (PSL) came fourth with 7% of the vote, and won three seats. The remaining parties failed to reach the 5% threshold required to win seats.
The election result demonstrated a stability in voting patterns in the country. Previously, especially prior to 2005, the political environment in Poland was rather unpredictable, with big swings away from established parties, towards alternative parties, and ongoing splits and mergers of key parties. In 2009, however, the voting pattern did not vary too substantially from the 2007 elections, with the large parties consolidating their positions, and smaller parties failing to make a breakthrough.
Contesting parties
Only eight single party committees and two coalition committees contested all 13 electoral districts. The draw was made in National Electoral Commission (Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza, PKW) Headquarters on 6 May 2009 at 10:00 CET. These were:
Notes: SLD-UP - coalition of Democratic Left Alliance and Labour Union
CenterLeft - coalition of Democratic Party – demokraci.pl, Social Democracy of Poland and Greens 2004
One single party committee, one coalition committee and one committee of 'grouped independents' managed to register in at least one district:
Note: NP-Piast - coalition of Forward Poland and Polish People's Party "Piast"