Two weeks before elections in Poland that the opposition says could decide the country's future in the European Union and its democratic standing, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered for a huge opposition rally in Warsaw. She hopes the demonstration, one of the largest seen in decades, will motivate voters to participate in the election.
Opinion polls indicate that a "nationalist Law and Justice" (PiS) government, which holds power in the country, may win the upcoming elections, but will struggle to gain a majority amid discontent over the cost of living and concern about damage to democracy due to erosion of democratic checks and balances.
Opposition rally. Fearing for Poland's democratic future, Photo: GettyImages
"When I see this sea of hearts, when I see these hundreds of thousands of smiling faces, I feel good that this breakthrough is coming in the history of our homeland," PO Party leader Donald Tusk said. Many of the demonstrators held Polish and EU flags in their hands.
Tusk, the former president of the European Council, said PIS, which has been in power since 2015, may seek to take Poland out of the European Union, which the party denies. The right-wing party campaigned to keep migrants out of Poland, saying it was key to national security, and pledged to continue funneling money to families and the elderly.
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