POLAND: Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his main rival Jaroslaw Kaczynski rally supporters on eve of Polish general election

Record ID: 345540

  • Title: POLAND: Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his main rival Jaroslaw Kaczynski rally supporters on eve of Polish general election
  • Date: 8th October 2011
  • Summary: LAW AND JUSTICE PRIME MINISTERIAL CANDIDATE AND EX-POLISH PRIME MINISTER, JAROSLAW KACZYNSKI WALKING ON TO STAGE LAW AND JUSTICE SUPPORTERS, POLISH FLAGS WAVING AND LAW AND JUSTICE PLACARDS KACZYNSKI ON STAGE
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Poland, Poland
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8RJ6TITHL9OFGYM1R5QGBPAY4
  • Story Text: On the final day of campaigning before Sunday's election (October 9) Prime Minister, Donald Tusk and his main rival, Law and Justice's Jaroslaw Kaczynski put themselves in the full light of Poland's media by hosting differing final rallies in the nation's capital.
    An opinion poll published on Friday (October 7) showed Tusk's PO-- the Civic Platform -- broadly pro-business and supportive of closer ties with the European Union, comfortably ahead of its main rival, the nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS).
    The survey, conducted by the Estymator pollster for the Polish edition of Newsweek magazine, showed PO winning 35 percent against 27 percent for PiS, a Eurosceptical party that favours more state involvement in the economy.
    Current Prime Minister, Tusk cast himself as a "safe pair of hands" when visiting Poland's new national stadium, built during his premiership for the Euro 2012 football tournament next year.
    "I think that we are in a place which tells us everything about how important these elections are. Because this is the future of these kids. I know one thing: for such venues to be built, for young Poles to live on the highest level possible, they need to have a sense of security and a calm and stable progress. And this is what I care for the most, and this is the highest stake. Security, stability and systematic progress of Poland, for every place in Poland to look like this stadium.", Tusk said after meeting and greeting young football fans at the new ground.
    In contrast his long term political rival, Jaroslaw Kaczynski held his finally rally later in the day at a city centre building usually used as a concert venue.
    At midnight on Friday (October 7, 20110 a campaign 'blackout' is enforced by the country's electoral commission and Kaczynski used his later event to encourage Poles to use the last few hours of the campaign to back him and what would be his second, all be it interrupted, term in power, "We will build a Poland of dignity, power and self respect, this will make Poles dignified, powerful and respected. Once again, I say do not waste the last few hours. We will win because we must win for win for Poland".
    Many analysts say support for Kaczynski has ebbed after he made remarks about Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel in a new book that his rivals said were offensive.
    Kaczynski repeated in his book his long-held view that Germany wants to subdue Poland and also said "it was not a matter of pure coincidence that Merkel was elected chancellor".
    He has declined to clarify what he meant by the remark.
    The winner of Sunday's poll will almost certainly need to build a coalition with one or more of the smaller parties also expected to clear the 5 percent threshold to enter parliament.
    These include the Peasants' Party (PSL) -- PO's current coalition partner -- the post-communist Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and a new libertarian party founded by maverick ex-PO lawmaker Janusz Palikot that backs gay rights and abortion.
    Tusk wants to continue his alliance with PSL and has spoken strongly against teaming with Palikot.
    Tusk has campaigned on Poland's strong economic growth, which is expected to hit 4 percent this year.
    He has also tried to scare voters with memories of the last Kaczynski-led government in 2006-7, which was marred by clumsy efforts to purge or prosecute communist-era officials and by rows with Poland's powerful neighbours Russia and Germany.
    Tusk vowed to continue a steady rapprochement with Russia despite disagreements on issues from missile defence to gas pipelines and over the conduct of an investigation into a plane crash that killed Poland's president last year.
    President Lech Kaczynski -- Jaroslaw's twin brother -- and nearly 100 other senior officials, many from PiS, were killed in the crash near Smolensk in western Russia on April 10, 2010.
    Moscow blamed the Polish pilots but Warsaw said Russian ground control also bore some blame for the tragedy. Jaroslaw Kaczynski blames both Moscow and the Tusk government.
    Kaczynski renewed his attacks on Friday against PO plans to step up privatisation and to introduce an element of competition into Poland's ramshackle public health system.
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