What is Poland up to?

That is what Constitutional Tribunal consists of now...

43.6% in a proportional system is extremely unhealthy figure. How is it possible?

Czechia has had a very similar system as Poland (until this year's election when D'Hondt was removed finally) and since 1989, no single party has ever got more than 30% in general election.

It would be similar in other continental European countries using PR, very unlikely for any party get significantly more than 35%.

Something is terribly wrong in Poland, I think.

Remember, Hitler got just 33% in a PR system in 1933 election.

I don't mean to sound like I'm defending PiS but Fianna Fail got 41.6% here as recently as the 2007 general election.

Not good... Very unhealthy and shows a deep polarisation.

As I see it, from the Czech perspective, these two countries are politically completely different.

1. The Church or religion plays no role in Czech politics (or society even). Czech politics epicentre is generally centre or maybe slightly centre-left.

2. Czech politics was going somewhat into a pre-Orbanism direction for last 7 years or so but thanks to the strong Czech constitution, which puts very good checks and balances in place, Orbán scenario is not possible. Constitution changes need a 3/5 majority (60%) in both houses which no single party can ever get, the Senate is very difficult to capture by populists due to the voting system used, Constitutional Court is very independent and the Executive cannot hijack it easily or quickly. The president (not the Government) appoints the Constitutional Court Justices and they have a long mandate so hijacking by Government is very difficult, they would need to team up with the President and for a very long time.

The whole bundling of Czechia with Poland and Hungary by political commentators was always a tad incorrect due to lack of contextual knowledge. There are more parallels with Austria and Slovakia, in fact.

Interesting, so the D'Hondt gave them maybe say 45% mandates, but then where did they get the majority from? A smaller coalition partner? Some sort of similar clero-fascist hardliner party? 😎

No D'Hondt gave them 51% of seats first time. It was "Tapegate" just before election. PO was secretly recorded while dining in restaurant. They were pretty innocent conversations in comparison with PiS doings.

So PO lost. And really unfortunately in the same year there was presidential election as well less then 3 months apart, which PiS wasn't expecting to win. But they won both, so they could do a lot of changes especially in our Constitutional Tribunal and Courts. That's why we are where we are with only independent Courts giving us a chance for restoring democracy in Poland.

It certainly looks like it now! Scary.

The problem was with left wing. A young party didn't want to go with old communists, who were still members of old bigger left wing party. The bigger left party (SLD) consisted of few smaller parties, so threshold for them was 8% (for individual party is 5%). And Zandberg took like 2% of votes so SLD got only 7,5% instead of 9,5%. While these 2% was not enough for this young party to get through. They got 3,9%. Really unlucky. And all these lost votes were then given to winners, so PiS.

Turnout was much smaller then, 51%.

They won't start a shooting war on The Polish or Lithuanian border but they might elsewhere. PiS are no friends of Russia, but their antics are quite a useful tool for Putin. A Polish government flouting EU rules and playing games in loading the courts is at odds with the EU, so Putin can stir the pot by using his rabid but idiot dog in Belarus to manufacture a humanitarian crisis on an EU border, involving an EU member state at odds with the rest of the EU. In the meantime he sends 100,000 soldiers to his Ukrainian border.

Doesn't take a great deal of perception to see what is happening.

Hmmm 🤔

Orban has probably apologised to Putin about the measures he's had to take because of the election and begged for his understanding, promising normal programming will resume after He's won the election.

I'm still wondering if they are tempted to send their army in themselves. Opt out of NATO tomorrow and cross the border.