Internal Civic Coalition (KO) elections concluded with tight races in several regions, but despite protests, a re-vote will not be held.
Tight Elections Within Civic Coalition
Civic Coalition’s internal elections began in mid-January, culminating on March 8th with the re-election of Donald Tusk as party chairman, receiving 97% of the vote. Regional and county leaders were also selected, prompting protests in three regions: Lower Silesia, Subcarpathia, and Lublin Voivodeship.
Disputed Results and Protests
Dorota Niedziela, the KO’s electoral commissioner, announced that all protests had been reviewed, with some complaints being upheld, but the overall results remained unchanged. The most contentious race was in Lower Silesia, where Michał Jaros narrowly defeated Monika Wielichowska by six votes.
Wielichowska protested, alleging a lack of voting secrecy, citing photos circulating on social media of cardboard dividers used to separate voters. The electoral commission acknowledged a brief lapse in secrecy at one polling station but deemed it insufficient to affect the outcome.
Subcarpathia and Lublin Voivodeship Challenges
In Subcarpathia, Paweł Kowal defeated Joanna Frydrych. Individual complaints regarding voting eligibility procedures were acknowledged but did not alter the result. Similar doubts arose in Lublin Voivodeship, where Marta Wcisło won against Michał Krawczyk; the protest there, concerning procedural issues, was dismissed.
Integration of Losing Candidates
In all three disputed regions, the losing candidates were included in the newly elected regional boards. Wielichowska was appointed as a vice-chairperson of the Lower Silesian KO. Jaros stated that the party successfully reconciled various interests and factions.
Niedziela emphasized the importance of unity following the internal competition, noting an unwritten rule that losing candidates are later included in the governing board.
Next Steps: National Council Meeting
The next step in establishing the KO leadership structure is a meeting of the National Council, scheduled after the holidays, with no firm date yet set. The Council will elect vice-chairpersons – up to a maximum of 15, as per the party statutes – following consultations with the Prime Minister.
Former leaders of the Polish Initiative and Modern parties, Barbara Nowacka and Adam Szłapka, are expected to be included in the board. The National Council will also select the Secretary-General and Treasurer, whose nominations will come from Donald Tusk.
The formation of the board and the appointment of the Secretary-General will conclude the internal elections within the KO, the first since the merger of Civic Platform, Modern, and Polish Initiative in October 2025.
