1990_Polish_presidential_election

1990 Polish presidential election

1990 Polish presidential election

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Presidential elections were held in Poland on 25 November 1990, with a second round on 9 December.[1] They were the first direct presidential elections in the history of Poland, and the first free presidential elections since the May Coup of 1926. Before World War II, presidents were elected by the Sejm. From 1952 to 1989—the bulk of the Communist era—the presidency did not exist as a separate institution, and most of its functions were fulfilled by the State Council of Poland, whose chairman was considered the equivalent of a president.

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The leader of the Solidarity movement, Lech Wałęsa, won the first round. However, he did not earn over 50% of the vote, which led to a runoff election. Wałęsa faced Polish-Canadian businessman Stanisław Tymiński in the second round, defeating him easily.

Background

Wałęsa was an electrician and union leader with the image of an emotional, shirtsleeves populist. The first non-communist Prime Minister, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, was very popular and widely considered a front-runner. He appeared as a more respectable and intellectual leader than Wałęsa, however, was much less charismatic, and held much less clout than Wałęsa, who was the long-time leader of Solidarność. In the first round, Mazowiecki finished in a distant third, with only 18.7 percent of the vote, well behind Wałęsa.

The precise reasons for Tymiński's unexpected success remain unclear, but it is suspected that dissatisfaction with the old "communist establishment" and new "Solidarność establishment" due to economic failures of both were the primary reason for his success. His vague promise to create wealth for everyone quickly, supported by his image as a patriotic Pole who had succeeded abroad, was well received at a time of radical political change and a worsening economic situation. There was increasing disappointment with the trench warfare that had broken out within the former anti-communist opposition so a mysterious, honest and patriotic stranger "straight out of nowhere" had considerable appeal.

Another factor was that Tymiński's use of political-marketing methods unknown in Poland at the time. A key element of his campaign was an omnipresent black briefcase, allegedly containing "secret documents" which would destroy his rivals' careers when the time was right. Although the elections passed without the briefcase being opened, its presence attracted constant attention. Tymiński's adversaries adopted a similar strategy; the daily Gazeta Wyborcza (which supported Mazowiecki) reported that Tymiński had had contact with the secret police, a story that was not withdrawn until after the elections.

Despite Tymiński's defeat, he had not only humiliated Mazowiecki (one of the best-known and most-respected figures in Polish politics), but also forced Wałęsa (who at that time was a national hero) into a runoff. After the election Tymiński tried to establish a new political party, but quickly disappeared from the political scene in Poland.[2]

Candidates

Opinion polls

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Results

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Notes

  1. Geremek 18.7
    Jaruzelski 16.6
    Brzeziński 4.6
    Baka 1.9
    Fiszbach [pl] 1.7
  2. Jaruzelski 18.5
    Geremek 7.7
    Baka 2.7

References

  1. [1]
    Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1491 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. [2]
    Dudek, Antoni (2023). Historia polityczna Polski 1989–2023 [Polish political history 1989-2023] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar. ISBN 978-83-67450-66-9.
  3. [3]
    "Dz.U. 1990 nr 68 poz. 399".
  4. [4]
    "Wybory prezydenckie" (PDF).
  5. [5]
    "Elektorat na tydzień przed wyborami" (PDF).
  6. [6]
    "Opinie o przyspieszeniu wyborów do parlamentu i konieczności zmian na stanowisku prezydenta" (PDF).
  7. [7]
    Szewczak, Natalia (2020-07-13). "75 kandydatów na prezydenta w ciągu 30 lat. Czy pamiętasz choć połowę tych nazwisk?". Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  • Obwieszczenie PKW z dn. 26 XI 1990 r., Dziennik Ustaw. Nr 83, poz. 483 (Polish)
  • Obwieszczenie PKW z dn. 10 XII 1990 r., Dz.U. Nr 85, poz. 499 (Polish)
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