2000 Polish presidential election

none Poland presidential 1995 Polish presidential election 1995 2005 Polish presidential election 2005 8 October 2000 61.08% ( 3.62pp) Defense.gov News Photo 030114-D-9880W-029 (cropped3).png 145 120 145 0 12 Aleksander Kwaśniewski IndependentThe President of Poland traditionally resigns from party membership after taking office. Although Kwaśniewski was officially an independent, his campaign was endorsed and funded by the Democratic Left Alliance. E2001A 9,485,224 53.90% Andrzej Olechowski, 2009.jpg 145 120 145 17 13 Andrzej Olechowski IndependentOlechowski was registered as an independent but ran as the candidate of the Conservative People's Party. 516A95 3,044,141 17.30% Marian Krzaklewski 2007.jpg 155 120 145 0 27 Marian Krzaklewski Solidarity Electoral Action 2,739,621 15.57% Jarosław Kalinowski 2009.jpg 120 120 145 0 0 Jarosław Kalinowski Polish People's Party 1,047,949 5.95% File:2000 Polish presidential election by Powiat.svg Results by powiat President Aleksander Kwaśniewski Independent politician Aleksander Kwaśniewski Independent politician Presidential elections were held in Poland on 8 October 2000. Incumbent President Aleksander Kwaśniewski was easily re-elected in the first round with more than 50% of the vote, the only time a direct presidential election in Poland has not gone to a second round. Kwaśniewski would be the last president to be re-elected until Andrzej Duda in 2020. Electoral system The President of Poland is elected for a five-year term using the two-round system; if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, a run-off is held between the top two candidates. Presidents serve a five-year term and can be re-elected once. The president-elect takes the oath of office on the day the previous President's term expires before the National Assembly (a joint session of the Sejm and the Senate). In order to be registered to contest the election, a candidate must be a Polish citizen, be at least 35 years old on the day of the first round of the election, and have collected at least 100,000 voters' signatures. In 2000, 13 candidates registered, but one - former Prime Minister Jan Olszewski - withdrew before the first round, so 12 valid candidates appeared on the ballot. Background Aleksander Kwaśniewski was elected in the 1995 presidential election and governed the country alongside the Democratic Left Alliance-Polish People's Party coalition until the 1997 parliamentary election, when the opposition, united under the Solidarity Electoral Action and led by the trade union's leader, Marian Krzaklewski, came to power, in a coalition with the Freedom Union. The coalition put up Jerzy Buzek as the next Prime Minister, as Krzaklewski had been seeking to challenge Kwaśniewski for the Presidency instead. Campaign President Kwaśniewski was seen as very likely to win re-election in the run up to the presidential election Europe: Can Poland's government survive? The Economist 50 2000-06-17 with polls showing that his popularity was high as 70% support. John Reed Ghosts from Poland's communist past come to haunt presidential hopefuls: Lech Walesa and Aleksander Kwasniewski will have their denials of co-operating with secret police tested. Financial Times 9 2000-08-04 His main challenger was expected to be Marian Krzaklewski from the Solidarity Electoral Action, which had formed the government since winning the last parliamentary elections in 1997. Roger Boyes Secret police files to decide Walesa's fate The Times 13 2000-08-08 The other main candidate was a former Foreign Minister and more liberal conservative Andrzej Olechowski, who won support from voters who were discontented with both of the other main candidates and in particular younger voters, businessmen and intellectuals. Europe: The changing Poles The Economist 59 2000-10-14 Candidates seen as having less of a chance included Andrzej Lepper, a populist farmers leader who opposed entry into the European Union and former president Lech Wałęsa. Wałęsa was rejected as the candidate for the Solidarity party he had won the presidency for, and thus ran separately in the election. Kate Connolly Past is not enough for modern Poland: Lech Walesa won the fight against communism in the 80s, but is failing to win over voters in 2000 The Guardian 18 2007-10-07 In order to be elected in the first round a candidate had to gain over 50% of the vote. If no candidate reached this level, then a second round would have been held between the top two candidates. As the campaign continued, the biggest question in the election was whether or not incumbent President Kwaśniewski would win the 50% required to avoid a second round. Polish president poised for first-round win Financial Times 3 2000-10-07 In the August before the election Kwaśniewski and another former president and candidate Lech Wałęsa were investigated by a court on allegations that they had been informers for the Communist secret police. If they had been found guilty they could have been banned from seeking election to political office for 10 years. However they both claimed that the evidence had been manipulated by political opponents and were cleared by the court. Kate Connolly Walesa cleared of cold war spy claims The Guardian 2 2000-08-12 Solidarity candidate Krzaklewski attacked Kwaśniewski for his past as a Communist party activist. Polish polls Financial Times 20 2000-07-04 However opinion polls in August showed this had little effect with Kwaśniewski well ahead with over 60% support, while Krzaklewski was second and Olechowski third, but both a long way behind. President Kwaśniewski's campaign focused on reconciling all of Poland with slogans including "Poland, our common home". Polish president secures re-election with strong first-round win Financial Times 3 2000-10-09 Most voters felt he had done well as President and he was seen as having done a good job in guiding Poland to membership of NATO. Kate Connolly Polish president heads to victory The Guardian 16 2000-10-09 Krzaklewski's popularity was not high due to the infighting in the government led by his Solidarity party since they had won the 1997 parliamentary election. George Blazyca Videotape blurs the picture for Polish president The Scotsman 11 2000-10-07 Meanwhile, Lech Wałęsa trailed badly in the polls with only about 2% support, which Wałęsa saw as being due to voters seeing him as being responsible for the pain involved in the transition from communism. In the election 3 candidates ran on platforms against the European Union. Martin Fletcher Frustrated Poles lose faith in EU as wait drags on The Times 18 2000-10-05 During the campaign one of them, Andrzej Lepper, was arrested for illegally blocking a customs post, however he claimed that this was an attempt to sabotage his campaign. Polish election contender arrested Financial Times 6 2000-08-25 As the election neared Kwaśniewski dropped in the polls and it became uncertain whether he would win the 50% required to avoid a second round. This followed a television advertisement from Solidarity candidate Krzaklewski in which Kwaśniewski was accused of having mocked Pope John Paul II. Polish president suffers in poll The Irish Times 10 2000-10-05 The video showed Kwaśniewski apparently urging his security advisor to kiss the ground is a parody of the Pope, although Kwaśniewski claimed this was inaccurate. At least one poll showed Kwaśniewski's support having dropped by 10% in one week following this, however it was the other main candidate, Andrzej Olechowski, who benefited as Krzaklewski was seen as being tarnished for having run a negative campaign. Campaign spending Candidate 2000 actual Real amount 2024 equivalent Inflation adjusted for 2024SpentCost Amount of PLN spent per vote for candidateSpentCost Amount of PLN spent per vote for candidate, inflation adjustedKwaśniewski 11,572,000 1,22 5,176,889 0,55Olechowski 1,965,000 0,65 879,069 0,29Krzaklewski 10,717,000 3,91 4,794,393 1,75Kalinowski 2,113,000 2,02 945,278 0,90Lepper 56,000 0,10 25,052 0,04Korwin-Mikke 75,000 0,30 33,552 0,13Wałęsa 299,000 1,67 133,761 0,75Łopuszański 292,000 2,10 130,630 0,94Grabowski 74,000 0,83 33,104 0,37Ikonowicz 29,000 0,75 12,973 0,34Wilecki 53,000 1,82 23,710 0,81Pawłowski 15,000 0,87 6710 0,39 Source: DudekDudek Antoni 2023 Historia polityczna Polski 1989–2023 Polish political history 1989-2023 https://scholar.com.pl/pl/glowna/8768-historia-polityczna-polski-19892023.html Warsaw Polish Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar 978-83-67450-66-9 Candidates There was no second round since Aleksander Kwaśniewski got over 50% in the first round. First Round Businessman Bogdan Pawłowski (Independent), 55 Generał broni Tadeusz Wilecki (National Party), 55 Withdrawn Opinion polls PollsterDate of polling KwaśniewskiIN OlechowskiIN KrzaklewskiAWS KalinowskiPSL LepperSRP KorwinUPR WałęsaChDRP Jan Łopuszański (politician) pl Jan Łopuszański (polityk) ŁopuszańskiPP GrabowskiCoalition for Poland pl Stronnictwo Polska Racja Stanu KdP IkonowiczPPS WileckiSN Bogdan Pawłowski pl Bogdan Pawłowski PawłowskiIN OlszewskiROPOthers andUndecidedsElection results 8 October 2000 53.90 17.30 15.57 5.95 3.05 1.43 1.01 0.79 0.51 0.22 0.16 0.10 - -CBOS Sept.-Oct. 2000 55 13 7 6 3 1 1 1 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 0 1 12CBOS September 2000 62 10 7 5 2 2 1 1 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 0 1 8CBOS August 2000 62 11 6 4 2 1 4 1 0 <0.5 0 0 1 8CBOS July 2000 62 11 7 3 3 1 3 1 - - <0.5 0 3 6CBOS June 2000 65 11 5 2 3 1 3 <0.5 - - <0.5 0 2 7Election called by Sejm Marshal Maciej Płażyński (16 June 2000)https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20000490565/T/D20000565L.pdf Dz.U. 2000 nr 49 poz. 565CBOS May 2000 62 11 4 4 3 2 3 <0.5 - - <0.5 0 1 6CBOS April 2000 61 12 4 - 2 <0.5 4 - - - <0.5 0 3 8CBOS January 2000 55 8 6 2 3 2 4 - - - <0.5 0 3 8 Sources:https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2000/K_146_00.PDF Deklarowane poparcie dla kandydatów na prezydenta tydzień przed wyborami Results Incumbent President Kwaśniewski won the election in the first round receiving almost 54% of the vote. Independent Andrzej Olechowski came second beating Solidarity candidate Krzaklewski into third place. Meanwhile, former President Lech Wałęsa only won 1% of the vote2000-10-09 Polish leader wins second term https://www.thetimes.com/article/polish-leader-wins-second-term-slmjkqzd7vv 2009-05-19 The Times and following the election stood down as leader of his small Christian Democratic party. Humiliated Wałęsa steps down as party chairman Evening Standard 4 2000-10-16 Aleksander Kwaśniewski Independent (SLD) 9485224 Andrzej Olechowski Independent (SKL) 3044141 #516A95 Marian Krzaklewski Solidarity Electoral Action 2739621 Jarosław Kalinowski Polish People's Party 1047949 Andrzej Lepper Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland 537570 Janusz Korwin-Mikke Real Politics Union 252499 Lech Wałęsa Christian Democracy of the Third Polish Republic 178590 #800000 Jan Łopuszański (politician) pl Jan Łopuszański (polityk) Jan Łopuszański Polish Agreement 139682 #4169E1 Dariusz Grabowski Coalition for Poland pl Stronnictwo Polska Racja Stanu 89002 #EFC816 Piotr Ikonowicz Polish Socialist Party 38672 Tadeusz Wilecki National Party 28805 #180A9B Bogdan Pawłowski pl Independent 17164 190312 29122304 PKW Vote share #ddd 600px 500px Kwaśniewski Democratic Left Alliance (Poland) 53.90 Olechowski Conservative People's Party (Poland) 17.30 Krzaklewski Solidarity Electoral Action 15.57 Kalinowski Polish People's Party 5.95 Lepper Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland 3.05 Korwin-Mikke Real Politics Union 1.43 Wałęsa Christian Democracy of the Third Polish Republic 1.01 Others #777777 1.78 Notes References Category:Presidential elections in Poland Poland Category:History of Poland (1989–present) President Presidential