Our experts bring decades of valuable experience to advise clients on how to affect change at the highest level in the Polish market.

Our network and knowledge of the ever-changing political climate helps us navigate policy changes for our clients.

We create synergy between brand and business to improve relations with media and key stakeholders.

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According to the National Electoral Commission, the ruling coalition of three parties, led by PM Donald Tusk, won with 51.1% in the local Polish elections this Sunday, but the key opposition party, PiS, won the most votes, with 34.27%. Tusk’s KO (CivicPlatform), the most powerful political group in the coalition, is in second place with 30.59% of votes. The Third Way (an alliance of agrarian party PSL and Poland 2050) gathers 14.25%. Right-wing Konfederacja won 7.23% and Lewica (New Left) 6.32%. 

Poles voted in elections for the local assemblies (sejmiki) in 16 administrative regions, local councils, and for mayors. 

According to the National Electoral Commission, KO won in nine regions while PiS won in seven (mainly in eastern Poland). However, this does not yet mean that parties will govern in these regions. That will be decided by the electoral coalitions. 

Compared to the previous local elections, KO gained two regions (it won seven assemblies in 2018) and PiS lost two (it won in nine then). 
The turnout rate of 52% was surprisingly low compared with almost 55% in the previous local elections in 2018 and the impressive 72% turnout rate in the parliamentary election in October 2023. This illustrates that only the core electorate of the parties went to the polls. 

Local elections were the first electoral test for Tusk's coalition government, nearly four months since they took power. The result clearly shows that PiS – a party which was ousted from power in last year’s parliamentary elections, remains a huge challenge for his coalition.

PM Tusk expected to achieve a much better result and defeat PiS, even though KO scored 1.2 points better than in October’s election. KO is also proud of the overwhelming victory in some major cities - Warsaw, Łódź, Gdańsk and Szczecin (candidates won in their first round) and winning in most of the other major cities. Rafał Trzaskowski’s win in the first round in Warsaw with nearly 60% of the vote increases his chances of running in the 2025 presidential election as KO candidate. 

Tusk admitted on election night that the road to defeating PiS would not be easy, especially considering the upcoming European elections in June and the presidential elections in 2025. 

**CONCLUSIONS**
The results of the local elections are a reflection of the latest parliamentary elections in October, with fairly similar results. The ruling coalition has won most of votes, but the PiS result came as a surprise given the numerous scandals in which the previous government was implicated, and which are extensively covered by the media. It is a warning sign for the coalition ahead of the European elections. The situation may be even more difficult bearing in mind the disappointing result of Lewica (New Left), which is one of 3 partners in the coalition. There are rumours that their position in the government needs to be revised (rumours come mostly from Third Way sources). The alliance is increasingly confrontational in its actions, mainly towards the New Left, which may have an impact on the future of the coalition.

Political update: April 7 results from local elections in Poland

The most relevant topic for us in RPPA PL is the upcoming parliamentary elections in October. It would also be a kick-off for the so-called political marathon in Poland (local and EP elections in 2024 and presidential elections in 2025). The situation is fairly unstable, with the ruling party and the largest opposition party enjoying similar levels of support in the opinion polls, and we already know that neither of them can secure a majority in the next parliament and rule on their own. The need for a coalition government means even more instability following the elections due to the radicalization of the political environment in Poland. Whatever coalition is finally formed, it does not bode well for a stable political future. And this will obviously have impact on the business environment.  

Regardless of the result, we believe it creates more opportunities since companies will need to understand how the political agendas of the new government affect their business. With insightful political intelligence, we feel we could help them navigate across the Polish political landscape as it is being reshaped.

RPPA Poland 2023

The Rud Pedersen Group continues to expand into new markets. With the addition of Warsaw, the company is now present in ten countries. “Our clients look for integrated services across borders, and we see an increased demand in new markets,” says Morten Rud Pedersen, CEO, President and Founder of the Rud Pedersen Group. “Many companies take a combined look at Northern Europe when setting up their communications and public affairs activities. Establishing an office in Poland was a natural step in our growth.” Izabela Van den Bossche has been appointed to lead and grow the business in Poland. Having previously worked as VP of Corporate Communications at Fortum, Van den Bossche brings over 20 years experience in building communications and public affairs strategies for large scale investment projects.

“With a strong foothold in the Baltic region, Poland was the most logical next step for The Rud Pedersen Group. I am excited to join a company that has shown such impressive growth, even during these turbulent times. The opening of this new office widens a cross-border team and enables the Rud Pedersen Group to both serve its existing clients in Poland but also to further expand its client portfolio. We are here to solve business challenges and create value for society and shareholders even more effectively.” said Van den Bossche. The Polish office is located in Warsaw and has now officially opened its doors for business. “We are seeing a high demand for our services in Poland, especially from international companies with interests and affiliates in Poland,” added Van den Bossche. “We, therefore, expect a rapid growth journey and will be expanding our team in line with this.”

About Rud Pedersen Group Founded in Sweden in 2002, the Rud Pedersen Group established market leadership positions in the four main Nordic markets before successfully establishing operations in Brussels, Berlin, Tallin, Vilnius and, more recently, London. Around one in five of the 350 employees are currently shareholders in the Group. The Rud Pedersen Group operates the brands Rud Pedersen Public Affairs, King Street Communications, Welcom, RP People and Fabula.

Contact: Izabela Van den Bossche: izabela@rudpedersen.com Morten Rud Pedersen: morten@rudpedersen.com

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Political update: April 7 results from local elections in Poland

RPPA Poland 2023

The Rud Pedersen Group opens a new office in Warsaw

Political update: April 7 results from local elections in Poland

RPPA Poland 2023

The Rud Pedersen Group opens a new office in Warsaw