2005 Polish parliamentary election

2005 Polish parliamentary election

← 2001 25 September 2005 2007 →

All 460 seats in the Sejm
231 seats needed for a majority
Turnout40.57%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Jarosław Kaczyński, 2004.jpg
Donald Tusk (6165309851) (cropped).jpg
Andrzej Lepper in his office 2002 (2) (cropped).jpg
Leader Jarosław Kaczyński Donald Tusk Andrzej Lepper
Party PiS PO SRP
Last election 9.5%, 44 seats 12.7%, 65 seats 10.2%, 53 seats
Seats won 155 133 56
Seat change Increase 111 Increase 68 Increase 3
Popular vote 3,185,714 2,849,269 1,347,355
Percentage 27.0% 24.1% 11.4%
Swing Increase 17.5pp Increase 11.4pp Increase 1.2pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Wojciech olejniczak.jpg
Waldemar Pawlak candidate 2010 D crop.jpg
Leader Wojciech Olejniczak Marek Kotlinowski Waldemar Pawlak
Party SLD LPR PSL
Last election 41.0%, 216 seats 7.9%, 38 seats 9.0%, 42 seats
Seats won 55 34 25
Seat change Decrease 161 Decrease 4 Decrease 17
Popular vote 1,335,257 940,762 821,656
Percentage 11.3% 8.0% 7.0%
Swing Decrease 29.7pp Increase 0.1pp Decrease 2pp

Seats won by Sejm District

Government before election

Belka cabinet
SLDUP

Government after election

Marcinkiewicz cabinet
PiS[a]

Parliamentary elections were held in Poland on 25 September 2005. All 460 members of the Sejm and 100 senators of the Senate were elected. The election resulted in a sweeping victory for two opposition parties: the right-wing, national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) and the centre-right, liberal-conservative Civic Platform (PO). The incumbent centre-left government of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) was soundly defeated. PiS won 155 seats and PO 133, while the governing SLD was reduced to fourth place with 55 seats, behind Andrzej Lepper's Self-Defence party, which won 56 seats.

Normally, this would have made PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński Prime Minister. However, he declined the post so as not to prejudice his twin brother Lech's chances for the presidential election held later in October. In his place, Law and Justice nominated Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz for the post. Outgoing Prime Minister Marek Belka failed to win a seat in Łódź.

In the Senate, PiS won 49 seats and PO 34 of the 100 seats, leaving eight other parties with the remaining 17 seats. The SLD won no seats in the Senate.

In the subsequent presidential elections, Lech Kaczyński of the PiS defeated PO leader Donald Tusk.
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