PiS calling for recounts

The parliamentary elections in Poland have given the PiS the majority it needs to govern the country alone, but it lost its majority in the upper house, the Senate. Now it has announced that it wants a recount of votes in six districts where it lost. Is Poland's ruling party attacking yet another pillar of democracy?

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Gazeta Wyborcza (PL) /

Another step towards authoritarianism

There is absolutely no reason for a recount, Gazeta Wyborcza rails:

“There is no indication of electoral fraud. There is no reason to protest. PiS leader Kaczyński doesn't like the result and that's the only reason for the recount. ... This is a decisive step on Kaczyński's path to authoritarianism. In the past we've had attacks on parliamentary democracy, the constitution, the Constitutional Court, independent courts and independent judges - but until now there has been no attempt to cast doubt on election results.”

Gazeta Polska Codziennie (PL) /

A completely normal procedure

Gazeta Polska Codziennie, by contrast, can't understand all the fuss:

“There's nothing sensational about election committees exercising their powers. If there are doubts about the correctness of a vote count, the ballots should be recounted. ... That's nothing out of the ordinary in a democracy. It suffices to recall the recount in Florida [in 2000] which was decisive in determining who would become president of the United States.”