WARSAW: Hundreds of thousands of people held an opposition rally in Warsaw on Sunday, two weeks ahead of an election that the liberal Civic Platform (PO) says may decide Poland’s future in the European Union and its democratic standing.
Opinion polls suggest the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government could win the vote but may struggle to form a majority amid discontent among some over rising living costs and concern over an erosion of democratic checks and balances.
Warsaw city authorities said about a million people attended in the capital’s biggest rally on record. Public broadcaster TVP, which independent media observers say has become a government mouthpiece under
It is said that according to its calculations some 600,000-800,000 people attended the rally.
The opposition is hoping the march galvanises voters to participate in the election, giving it a chance to come ahead.
“Big change is coming. This is a sign of Poland’s rebirth,” PO leader Donald Tusk told crowds gathered in a central Warsaw square, many people waving Polish and EU flags.
Tusk, a former European Council president, has said PiS could aim to take Poland out of the EU, something the party denies, and has framed the election as crucial for minority and women’s rights.
PiS, in power since 2015, has campaigned on a pledge to keep migrants out of Poland, saying that was key for national security, and to continue funnelling money towards families and the elderly. — Reuters
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