Poland’s ruling conservatives have won the country’s parliamentary election, but will not be able to muster a majority in the new parliament, paving the way for the opposition to take power, according to provisional data announced by electoral officials on Monday.

With 99.41 percent of the ballots counted, the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, allied with two smaller groupings in a United Right coalition, had 35.61 percent of the vote, while the largest opposition bloc, the liberal Civic Coalition, led by the Civic Platform (PO) party, had 30.51 percent. The centre-right opposition Third Way alliance finished third with 14.42 percent. The New Left party, another opposition group, finished fourth with 8.56 percent. The far-right Confederation group, with 7.15 percent. The National Electoral Commission is expected to release the final results of the vote around noon today.

Source – Polskie Radio

Warsaw Stock Exchange welcomes shift in Polish politics after elections

Poland’s stock market has surged on the news that opposition parties could wrestle power from the ruling conservatives after Sunday’s parliamentary elections. The Warsaw Stock Exchange’s main WIG20 index gained 3.9 percent to 2,055 points shortly after the start of trading yesterday morning. Poland’s zloty currency also increased in value against the dollar and euro. An analyst said that the buoyed stock sentiment was fuelled by the prospect of a stable new government formed by the opposition Civic Coalition, Third Way and New Left groups, as well as by „a very weak result” for the far-right Confederation group.

Source – Polskie Radio

Musical tribute to Chopin on death anniversary

Mozart’s „Requiem” will be performed in a Warsaw church today in an annual tribute to Romantic composer Fryderyk Chopin. The performance will mark 174 years since Chopin’s death and will be held at the Polish capital’s Holy Cross Church, where the composer’s heart is buried in one of the pillars. Chopin’s heart was brought to Poland by his elder sister Ludwika from Paris, where the composer died on October 17, 1849. It is interred in a pillar on the left-hand side of the nave. It is a long-standing tradition to perform Mozart’s Requiem at Warsaw’s Holy Cross Church every year on October 17th.

Source – Polskie Radio

Gdańsk school children collect record amount for local hospital

Students of the 5th Secondary School in the Oliwa district of Gdańsk have managed to collect over PLN 12,000 for a local hospital. The campaign, which sees students sell books and other goods and crafts locally, has been carried out every year since 2018 and is yielding ever better results each year. Thanks to the funds collected this year, it was possible to purchase new equipment that will be used by the youngest patients in the neonatal ward at the Polanki Children’s Hospital in the Oliwa district.

Source – Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be cloudy with sunny spells in a gentle breeze with temperatures of 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and 6 degrees overnight. Tomorrow will continue cloudy and with showers and sunny spells in a gentle breeze and temperatures of 13 degrees during the day and 4 degrees overnight.

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Martin Caren/MarWer