The centre-right Fianna Fáil took the most seats in parliament, with 38. Just behind them was the left wing Sinn Féin on 37 and the previously leading Fine Gael on 35, with smaller parties taking a handful of seats.

The results have been described as a „revolution in the ballot box” by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. The result is a massive gain for the party which had previously been in third place behind the ruling coalition on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

No party has an overall majority, so discussions on forming a coalition government will be kicking off over the coming days.

Billions allocated for new beltways

Poland’s infrastructure minister, Andrzej Adamczyk, has announced plans to spend 6.5 billion euros on new ring roads around major towns and cities over the next 10 years.

Speaking to press on Saturday, the minister said „Poles have the right to live in towns free from road congestion and from the stench of fumes and noise that come with traffic”.

The plans aim to encourage investment in towns and cities by improving accessibility.

President Duda visits Pomeranian for 100 years of the Marriage to the Sea

Here in Pomerania, President Duda has been in our region this week, marking the 100th anniversary of Poland’s Marriage to the Sea.

Speaking to Radio Gdansk yesterday, President Duda praised what he described as the „heroism of the Kashubian people”.

The president also visited the coastal town of Puck, where he attended ceremonies to commemorate the anniversary.

The „Marriage to the Sea” marked the regaining of Poland’s access to the sea in 1918 under the Treaty of Versailles, when General Józef Haller famously through a platinum wedding ring into the Baltic, symbolically marking Poland’s connection to the sea.

Options being considered for SKM in Gdansk South

In Gdansk, the city development office has said it is considering proposals for extending the SKM rapid transit network into southern Gdansk.

The new proposal, submitted to Trójmiasto.pl, would take the line south from Gdańsk Śródmieście and through the southern districts of the city before coming back northwards and connecting to the PKM line at Gdańsk Jasień.

The idea of extending the SKM is decades old, but have seen a revival recently since city authorities applied for EU finding for the project last year.

20 year old wins National Chopin Competition

Rising piano star Piotr Alexewicz has won the Polish National Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

The 20 year old saw off 28 of the country’s top pianists to win the competition. He and joint second placed Piotr Pawlak and Adam Kałduński will now go to the international competition later this year.

Founded in 1927, the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw is among the most prestigious events of its kind worldwide.

RG News / TAH