Citizen coalition in euphoria. All because of the primaries results in Wieruszów. The leader of the formation, Donald Tusk, cools the emotions of his followers.
The primaries were held in Wieruszów for the third time; first in 1997 and then in 2019. The city sits on the southwestern edge of the province. Łódź is described as “Poland in a nutshell,” since the primaries there have often foreshadowed later parliamentary outcomes.
On Sunday, residents of Wieruszów cast ballots for parties rather than individual candidates. There was no calm in the air, and several party booths appeared near the community center where voting took place — from the Confederation to the Left and the Civic Coalition. The United Right, however, did not choose this form of campaigning.
An explosion of joy in KO
After the announced results, the Civic Coalition celebrated with visible enthusiasm. This particular vote placed KO at the forefront. The results were as follows:
KO – 34.08 percent
PiS – 32.32 percent
Third Way – 11.94 percent
Confederation – 6.64 percent
Left – 6.35 percent
Local government workers – 3.51 percent
Interestingly, turnout was modest at 19.27 percent. Wieruszów has about 14,000 inhabitants.
Nearly every KO politician posted the results on social media, hoping that October 15 would mirror this performance in the general elections.
“A sign of hope, not a guarantee of victory,”
The PO leader, Donald Tusk, addressed supporters to temper the celebrations slightly. He suggested that a month of hard work lay ahead, a commitment to energy and service to constituents. The message emphasized that the victory was a hopeful indicator, not a definitive win. The note appeared on social media in plain terms.
Two PiS politicians then challenged the PO leader, weighing in on the rhetoric. One commented that citizens should not be dictated to and urged greater effort, even at older ages and with minimal compensation, hinting at broader pension policy points raised during the discussion. The other noted that affection for voters should be tested over a longer horizon, not just a brief period of popularity.
Political scientist: “A lot of emotions”
Does Wieruszów truly embody the Polish political landscape in microcosm? Political scientist Marcin Palade, a familiar analyst who helped organize primaries in the municipality, raised questions about the broader implication. Calm analysis is preferred over emotion, he suggested, especially given how Wieruszów has fluctuated within the five percent band for several years and how past primaries showed divergent national patterns. The first primaries in 1997 produced a result different from the national trend, with SLD performing well locally but not nationally; the second time the alignment was more consistent. Predicting this time’s outcome remains uncertain, Palade said, with October 15 looming as the next test.
He also posted a top-ten list showing how well Wieruszów’s results align with national outcomes from 1990 through 2020, noting the municipality’s consistent position in the rankings. The overall mood around the primaries in Wieruszów sparked optimism, yet the real test is still to come on election day.
The discussion also included a set of mock election questions about seat distribution in the Sejm, reflecting concerns about how the initial primary results might translate into parliamentary power. A symbolic forecast suggested mixed implications for the Third Way and potential implications for PiS dominance in a hypothetical scenario. The publication left room for interpretation, underscoring the uncertainty inherent in transitioning from primaries to general elections.
[Citation: wPolityce]
In sum, the mood in Wieruszów captures a moment of heightened emotion amid a longer electoral process. The real measure remains the vote on October 15, when broader regional and national patterns will be tested against the microcosm of this small town.