- Title: Poles cast their ballots in presidential election
- Date: 28th June 2020
- Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (JUNE 28, 2020) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF POLLING STATION, VOTERS ENTERING AND LEAVING ELECTORAL WORKER WEARING FACE SHIELD ELECTORAL WORKER DIRECTING VOTER TO THE POLLING STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOTER, MARCIN SZYBORSKI, SAYING: "The changes that have been taking place in Poland definitely go in the wrong direction." VOTERS AT POLLING STATION SIGN DIRECTING PEOPLE TO POLLING STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOTER, MARCIN SZYBORSKI, SAYING: "I think it is a scandal that the constitution is being violated time and again. Things such as refusal to nominate judges to the Constitutional Tribunal." PEOPLE QUEUING FOR BALLOTS VOTERS STANDING AT VOTING BOOTHS ELECTORAL WORKERS GIVING BALLOTS VOTER PUTTING BALLOT IN BALLOT BOX ELECTORAL WORKERS SPEAKING TO VOTER (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOTER, JOANNA STOL, SAYING: "This (the election) impacts my life, certainly passing new tax legislation, introducing social benefits which are de facto punitive for people who work, punishing them because they work. Let's be frank, taxes above certain limits effectively punish people just because they work, the system rewards those who decide to stay at home and live off social benefits. This is absurd." PEOPLE QUEUING TO ENTER POLLING STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOTER, JOANNA STOL, SAYING: "For instance Mr Trzaskowski was calling on people to act in solidarity despite differences, first and foremost he did not advocate hatred of other people, I think this was good about his campaign. Mr. Duda's campaign, I did not like it, all the propaganda tricks, as if it was North Korea." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE VOTING (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOTER, CHRYSTOS LIOLIOS, SAYING: "The policies followed by the party represented by the incumbent president will be continued. If he wins. And this will slowly lead to us being taken out of the European Union. This is what it looks like." PEOPLE VOTING (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) VOTER, TADEUSZ KOLACZIN, SAYING: "I hope that if the elected president is an energetic, open-minded man things will be ok." PEOPLE VOTING ELECTORAL WORKERS REGISTERING VOTERS EXTERIOR OF ANOTHER POLLING STATION, VOTERS ARRIVING VOTERS QUEUING TO ENTER POLLING STATION VARIOUS OF VOTERS ENTERING POLLING STATION VOTERS LEAVING POLLING STATION
- Embargoed: 12th July 2020 12:46
- Keywords: Andrzej Duda Law and Justice Poland Rafal Trzaskowski election presidential election
- Location: WARSAW, POLAND
- City: WARSAW, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001CKAACLJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Voters queued at polling stations in Warsaw on Sunday (June 28) as Poland held its presidential elections with restrictions in place due to coronavirus.
Poland's electoral commission apologised on Sunday for the measures, which include wearing masks, maintaining social distance and asking voters to bring their own pens.
The closely-fought presidential election could reshape Poland's tense relationship with the European Union and the ruling nationalists' socially conservative agenda.
Incumbent Andrzej Duda, 48, has vowed to maintain the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party's economic programs, which include generous social spending and a pledge to protect family values in the predominantly Catholic country.
His main challenger, centrist Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, also 48, seeks to provide a progressive alternative and to fight Poland's isolation in the EU after five years of conflict between the government and Brussels.
Voters in Warsaw said they disagreed with the direction the country had taken under PiS since it first came to power in 2010.
If Duda fails to secure a second five-year mandate, his successor could hamper the government's ability to deepen its justice reforms by vetoing laws or refusing to nominate judges picked by PiS allies.
(Production: Jarek Gawlowski, Kacper Pempel, Anna Dabrowska, Lewis Macdonald) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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