Opposition Parties Align on Senate Pact Terms Amid Negotiations

Representatives from four opposition groups and a delegate from the Local Government Movement “Yes! For Poland” signed a statement to close the so-called Senate Pact, according to coverage from PAP. The document does not lay out constituency divisions among parties, nor does it list candidate names.

This Tuesday, negotiators from the four opposition groups involved in forming the Senate Pact will align on an agreement outlining the pact’s terms for the upcoming elections. The participants include PO Secretary General Marcin Kierwiński, Sejm Deputy Speaker Piotr Zgorzelski (KP-PSL), MP Dariusz Wieczorek from the Left, and Senator Jacek Bury from Poland 2050.

From Kierwinski’s perspective, the process is proceeding smoothly. He indicated that a deal could be signed next week, making clear that the opposition parties intend to contest the Senate elections as a united bloc, proposing one candidate per constituency, and maintaining the current parliamentary term’s Senate pact framework.

Kierwinski spoke to PAP about these expectations.

What caused friction between PSL and the Hołownia party?

According to PAP sources, the forthcoming statement, first reported by Gazeta Wyborcza, contains general commitments to participate in the elections and to run a single joint candidate in each constituency. Some PAP interlocutors said an initial version planned a provisional division of districts between the parties, but Poland 2050 and PSL did not agree to this approach.

Participants from the pact say they expect the alliance to secure 65 of the 100 seats in the Senate, a target that involves both the Left and PSL.

“We didn’t plan any division of districts; it’s too early for that. The calculation rests on current polling and internal surveys, which could shift by the summer,” one negotiator told PAP.

Additionally, the statement notes that sitting senators may run for re-election if they choose, which could further complicate any district-by-district divisions.

For that reason, as heard in talks, there are no candidate names yet, although preliminary adjustments are being prepared.

Some negotiators acknowledge that the agreement is broad enough that it could have been signed earlier. Delays were initially caused by opposition from PSL and then from Szymon Hołownia’s group, according to the same sources.

Local government considerations and the Pact’s fate

The Tuesday signing will also include Zygmunt Frąkiewicz, a current Senator representing the Local Government Movement “Yes! For Poland.” However, PAP reports indicate that the “Yes! For Poland” movement will not remain a party affiliate of the Senate Pact, although leaders like Sopot Mayor Jacek Karnowski have suggested possible participation. Local government officials may still stand for the Senate as part of the Civic Coalition or PSL delegations, according to pact negotiators.

The dynamic around Karnowski and the movement’s influence grew after an election poll commissioned by the movement depicted it as an independent entity and positioned Rafał Trzaskowski as its leader. Unofficial sources claim that publication of this poll angered the Civic Platform leadership and effectively reduced the chance that “Yes for Poland” would appear as a separate topic within the Senate Pact.

Throughout the talks, local government figures have been integral, and Frąkiewicz’s role is considered crucial by negotiators. It is anticipated that many local government officials aligned with the Civic Platform or Civic Coalition will again be included on candidate lists this time as well, reinforcing the alliance’s local footprint, according to Kierwinski.

Further comments suggested that many movement members, including Frąkiewicz and Wadim Tyszkiewicz, could still exercise the pact’s provision prioritizing current senators as candidates. The same applies to other independent senators such as Krzysztof Kwiatkowski.

Senate agreements and past precedents

The 2019 Senate pact brought together the Civic Coalition, PSL, and the Left ahead of the parliamentary elections. The arrangement did not always apply uniformly, as evidenced by a case in Łódź where a former PO politician ran as an independent and defeated a Left candidate. In several constituencies, PSL and Left contenders faced off, yet the opposition generally secured the majority of Senate seats as the governing party won the Sejm elections.

There is commentary that next week’s agreement will renew the opposition’s collaborative approach for the Senate, with the same core negotiators expected to drive the agreement through to completion. Observers note that the broad, generalized terms reflect ongoing discussions about strategy and the best path to electoral success for the coalition.

Source: overview of parliamentary discussions and party statements as reported by political outlets and agencies.