Poland’s ruling populist party is on track to lose its parliamentary majority despite winning the most votes in Sunday’s election, according to exit polls.

The illiberal PiS party won Poland’s parliamentary election with 36.8 percent, but exit polls indicated it would fail to form a government, raising the possibility that the liberal opposition could try to form a ruling coalition. Reuters reports.

At the parliamentary elections on Sunday, the turnout reached a record level – 72.9%.

According to the Ipsos exit poll, the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won 36.8% of the vote, which means 200 deputies in the 460-seat parliament.

The largest opposition group, the Liberal Citizens’ Coalition (KO), would receive 31.6% of the vote, giving it 163 seats.

According to the survey, the center-right coalition “Third Way” and “New Left”, which may enter into a coalition with KO, received 13% and 8.6%, respectively.

According to party leader Jaroslaw Kaczyński, it is unclear whether the results of Poland’s election on Sunday will lead to a new mandate for the ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS).

“Democracy won”

Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk said on Sunday that democracy had won and that the ruling Right and Justice (PiS) nationalists would be ousted from power.

“I have never been so happy in my life as I am today with this second place. Poland won. Democracy won. We removed them (PiS) from power!” he declared.

KO leader Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council, has promised to mend Warsaw’s relationship with Brussels, which has been strained by numerous disputes over issues such as the independence of the judiciary, LGBT rights and migration.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Sunday that his ruling Law and Justice (PiS) nationalists had won the parliamentary elections.

“I won. Law and Justice (PiS) is the winner of the 2023 parliamentary elections,” he said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) nationalists will try to form a stable government if the president gives them the task, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Sunday, Reuters reported.

“If the president entrusts the formation of the government to the candidate from the winning party, we will try to build a stable government,” Moravetsky told the public television channel TVP Info.

Critics say PiS has turned state media into propaganda institutions

The official results will be announced no earlier than Sunday evening.

Critics say that since coming to power in 2015, PiS has increased political influence over the courts and turned state media into propaganda institutions.

About 110 billion euros of EU funds intended for Poland were frozen due to rule of law problems.

With war raging in Poland’s neighboring Ukraine and a looming migrant crisis, the EU and Washington are closely watching the vote, although both PiS and the majority opposition support NATO member Poland’s key role in providing military and logistical support to Kyiv .

PiS presented the vote as a choice between security under unlimited migration, which it says its opponents support, and gradual Westernization, which it says is at odds with Poland’s Catholic character.

PiS says its reforms aim to make the country and its economy fairer while destroying the last vestiges of communism. PiS has built its support on generous social benefits, which rival parties will end.