In Poland, the pro-European opposition party claims victory in legislative elections against the ruling PiS populists.

Donald Tusk, who heads the centrist opposition coalition in Poland, claimed victory in the legislative elections on Sunday evening, October 15. According to exit polls, the pro-European opposition won a parliamentary majority, defeating the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) and the far-right populists.

According to these projections, the three centrist opposition parties Donald Tusk’s Citizens’ Coalition (KO), Third Way Christian Democrats and the Left combined won 248 seats in the 460-member parliament, compared to 212 seats for PiS and the Coalition (right).

“Poland won, democracy won, we drove them out of power (…) it’s the end of this bad period, it’s the end of the PiS regime”Donald Tusk announced immediately after the polls were released.

PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told a rally at the party’s headquarters in central Warsaw that it was not immediately clear whether Sunday’s results would lead to a new government mandate. “Whether we are in power or in opposition, (…) we will not allow Poland to be betrayed”He insisted.

Turnout was high – exit polls put the national turnout at 72.9% – the highest since the fall of communism in 1989.