Poland Poll: Kaczyński's PiS Slumps as Far-Right Rivals Gain

Poland’s opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party has fallen to its lowest level of public support in years, while a new political party linked to former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has entered parliament in the latest opinion poll published on Friday, Aug. 7. According to Onet, citing an Opinia24 survey, the Civic Coalition (KO) remains the country’s largest political force with 30.3% support, despite losing one percentage point since the previous poll.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. PiS fell 5.6 percentage points to 17.2%, marking its weakest showing in years. Right-wing parties gain support The Confederation party increased its support to 15.3%, up 1.9 percentage points, while the Confederation of the Polish Crown reached 9%. The poll also showed Morawiecki’s newly formed Rozwój Plus party clearing the parliamentary threshold with 5.3% support. Meanwhile, Left (Lewica) received 7%, while Razem, Poland 2050 and the Polish People’s Party (PSL) all remained below the threshold required to enter parliament. Poll points to shifting support on the right The authors of the Opinia24 survey said the biggest changes are taking place on Poland’s political right. “The greatest momentum is visible on the right side of the political scene. The turmoil within Law and Justice is clearly strengthening both Confederation parties, whose combined support is now close to the level PiS enjoyed as recently as June,” the pollsters said. They added that PiS now has “the lowest share of potential voters in years.” Other Topics of Interest Ex-European Officials Met Unnamed Kremlin Veteran for Secret Ukraine Talks Former senior officials from Britain, France, and Germany reportedly met a former Kremlin official in Vienna to explore possible conditions for future peace negotiations. PiS loses support as Poland’s right fragments Law and Justice (PiS), led by Jarosław Kaczyński, governed Poland from 2015 to 2023 and has remained one of Ukraine’s key political backers despite frequent disputes with Kyiv over agricultural imports, historical issues and support for Ukrainian refugees. Under PiS, Poland became one of Ukraine’s largest military and humanitarian supporters following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, supplying tanks, fighter jets and other military aid. Recent polls, however, show PiS losing support as Poland’s right-wing electorate becomes increasingly fragmented. A split led by former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has weakened the party, while support has shifted toward the Confederation and Confederation of the Polish Crown, both of which have taken a more critical stance toward military aid for Ukraine and benefits for Ukrainian refugees. Anti-Ukrainian sentiment has become a key issue in Polish politics The poll comes amid growing concerns over anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland, which has increasingly featured in the country’s political debate. Last week, Ukrainian couple was assaulted by three men in the western Polish city of Wrocław. Two suspects have since been arrested. Following the attack, Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that years of solidarity with Ukrainian refugees were being undermined. “Just a few years ago, the world was impressed by the Poles’ solidarity with refugees from Ukraine. All of that is now being destroyed,” Tusk said. Polish and Ukrainian commentators have linked the shift in public attitudes to increasingly hostile political rhetoric, disinformation campaigns and the growing influence of nationalist parties ahead of future elections. Ukrainian outlet European Pravda has called on the European Union to pay closer attention to the rise in anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, arguing that political leaders who fuel hostility should also be held accountable. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.