Polish parliamentary election, 2001
Encyclopedia
Polish parliamentary election in 2001 to Sejm
and Senate of Poland
were held on the 23rd September. In Sejm elections, 46.29% of citizens cast their votes, 96.01% of those were counted as valid. In Senate elections, 46.28% of citizens cast their votes, 96.46% were valid.
The elections were won by the centre-left
party of Democratic Left Alliance
, falling just short of an outright majority in the Sejm. The right-wing vote splintered, with Solidarity Electoral Action
(AWS), which had won 201 seats in 1997
, collapsing to none. Two parties that had been formed from AWS – Civic Platform
and Law and Justice
– won 65 and 44 seats respectively.
The left-wing nationalist
Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland (SRP) increased its vote 100-fold from 1997 and won 53 seats, coming third. The new socially conservative
League of Polish Families
also entered the Sejm for the first time, winning 38 seats, behind the Polish People's Party.
election
Total: 100 senators.
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
and Senate of Poland
Senate of Poland
The Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years, it was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the...
were held on the 23rd September. In Sejm elections, 46.29% of citizens cast their votes, 96.01% of those were counted as valid. In Senate elections, 46.28% of citizens cast their votes, 96.46% were valid.
The elections were won by the centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
party of Democratic Left Alliance
Democratic Left Alliance
Democratic Left Alliance is a social-democratic political party in Poland. Formed in 1991 as a coalition of centre-left parties, it was formally established as a single party on 15 April 1999. It is currently the third largest opposition party in Poland....
, falling just short of an outright majority in the Sejm. The right-wing vote splintered, with Solidarity Electoral Action
Solidarity Electoral Action
Solidarity Electoral Action was a political party coalition in Poland. Since 1997 its official name has been Akcja Wyborcza Solidarność Prawicy or Solidarity Electoral Action of the Right...
(AWS), which had won 201 seats in 1997
Polish parliamentary election, 1997
The Polish parliamentary election in 1997 to the Sejm and Senate of Poland was held on the 21 September. In the Sejm elections, 47.93% of citizens cast their votes, 96.12% of which were counted as valid...
, collapsing to none. Two parties that had been formed from AWS – Civic Platform
Civic Platform
Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...
and Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
– won 65 and 44 seats respectively.
The left-wing nationalist
Left-wing nationalism
Left-wing nationalism describes a form of nationalism officially based upon equality, popular sovereignty, and national self-determination. It has its origins in the Jacobinism of the French Revolution. Left-wing nationalism typically espouses anti-imperialism...
Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland (SRP) increased its vote 100-fold from 1997 and won 53 seats, coming third. The new socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
League of Polish Families
League of Polish Families
The League of Polish Families is a right-wing political party in Poland. It was represented in the Polish parliament, forming part of the cabinet of Jarosław Kaczyński, until the latter dissolved in September 2007....
also entered the Sejm for the first time, winning 38 seats, behind the Polish People's Party.
Sejm
Senate
SenatSenate of Poland
The Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years, it was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the...
election
Total: 100 senators.