Parliamentary elections were held in Poland on 21 September 1997.^[1] Voter turnout was 48% for the Sejm and Senate elections.

Quick Facts All 460 seats in the Sejm 231 seats were needed for a majority in the Sejm All 100 seats in the Senate, Turnout ...

1997 Polish parliamentary election

← 1993 21 September 1997 2001 →
All 460 seats in the Sejm 231 seats were needed for a majority in the Sejm All 100 seats in the Senate
Turnout	47.9%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Marian Krzaklewski Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz Leszek Balcerowicz Party AWS SLD UW Leader since 8 June 1996 Candidate for PM April 1995 Leader's seat Gliwice Białystok Katowice Last election Did not exist 171 seats, 20.4% 74 seats, 14.6%* Seats won 201 164 60 Seat change New 7 14 Popular vote 4,427,373 3,551,224 1,749,518 Percentage 33.8% 27.1% 13.4% Swing New 6.7% 1.2%*   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Waldemar Pawlak Jan Olszewski Henryk Kroll Party PSL ROP KWMN Leader since 29 June 1991 18 November 1995 1991 Leader's seat Płock Warsaw Opole Last election 132 seats, 15.4% Did not exist 4 seats, 0.7% Seats won 27 6 2 Seat change 105 New 2 Popular vote 956,184 727,072 51,027 Percentage 7.3% 5.6% 0.4% Swing 8.1% New 0.3%
Seats won by Sejm District
Government before election Cimoszewicz cabinet [pl] SLD (SdRP)—PSL Government after election Buzek cabinet AWS—UW

Close

The liberal conservative party Solidarity Electoral Action won the most seats in both chambers of parliament and formed a coalition government with the Freedom Union, another liberal party. The elections were a major setback for the Democratic Left Alliance and the Polish People's Party, which were forced out of government.