Poland's presidential election in May was competitive and efficiently managed but it took place in a highly polarized political environment, which deepened existing divides and impacted the functioning of some key electoral oversight institutions. Fundamental freedoms were respected throughout the vibrant campaign, although the authorities needed to deploy various countermeasures due to challenges from disinformation and foreign interference.
Concerns persisted regarding the independence of the judiciary despite some measures initiated by the current authorities to restore the rule of law. There were also ongoing concerns about the lack of transparency in the campaign finance framework, as well as media polarization and biased campaign coverage, including by the public broadcaster. On election day, the process was professional and well organized in the limited number of polling stations visited.
These are some of the main conclusions from the final report , published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers recommendations to bring elections in Poland closer in line with OSCE commitments and international standards for democratic elections.
Key recommendations include:
- Aligning the legal framework with the commitments made by all OSCE states as well as international standards through an inclusive consultation process;
- Ensuring a clear separation between campaigning and public functions;
- Improving the campaign finance framework by establishing timely, transparent and easy to understand reporting;
- Holding the National Election Commission's sessions in public and announcing them sufficiently in advance;
- Regulating campaigning by third parties, including setting requirements for registration, financing and disclosure of third-party campaigners;
- Introducing provisions to guarantee the editorial and financial independence of public service media;
- Strengthening freedom of expression by lifting criminal sanctions for defamation;
- Ensuring timely and effective remedy for violations related to the election results after the first round;
- Increasing efforts to ensure women's active participation in public and political life.
The ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission to the 18 May and 1 June presidential election started work on 11 April and remained in the country until 10 June.
The ODIHR mission also assessed the country's efforts to implement previous recommendations through changes in legislation, procedures and practices. For Poland, the ODIHR mission evaluated the follow-up to recommendations from the 2020 presidential election and the 2023 parliamentary elections , and concluded that three recommendations had been fully implemented, one mostly implemented and four partially addressed, while others are still outstanding. A full list can be found on p. 37 of today's report.
All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR's election assessments and recommendations. The ODIHR Electoral Recommendations Database tracks the extent to which recommendations are implemented by states across the OSCE region.
