Polish Initiative

Polish political party

The Polish Initiative (Polish: Inicjatywa Polska, iPL) is a progressive political party in Poland. It was formed as an association in 2016, and was registered as a political party in 2019. Its leader is Barbara Nowacka, and it is a part of the Civic Coalition. It supports principles of social liberalism, social democracy and secularism. It has been described as centre-left[1] and left-wing.[2]

History

The association Polish Initiative was created on February 20, 2016,[3] by Barbara Nowacka, a former member of the Your Movement and the United Left electoral alliance for the 2015 parliamentary election.[4] It was registered as a political party in 2019.[5]

In 2018, the Initiative joined the Civic Coalition for the local elections. Two of its candidates were elected to the Voivodeship sejmiks.

The association joined the European Coalition for the 2019 European Parliament election.[6] However, because of being in the process of the registration as a political party, its members did not compete in the election.[7]

The party joined the Civic Coalition for the 2019 parliamentary election. Two of the party candidates, including its leader Barbara Nowacka and two candidates recommended by the party, were elected to the Sejm. The Coalition won 134 in total, losing to the ruling party Law and Justice.[8]

The Polish Initiative supported the Civic Coalition's candidate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska in the 2020 presidential election. Later, the Polish Initiative announced that it would as a party not take part in the election on 10 May, due to change of electoral rules because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] However, after the election was moved it supported Rafał Trzaskowski, who became the Civic Coalition's candidate after the resignation of Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska. Trzaskowski later lost in the second round to the incumbent Andrzej Duda.[10]

Ideology

The Polish Initiative is a progressive,[11] social liberal,[12] and social-democratic party.[13] It sits on the centre-left[1] to left-wing on the political spectrum.[2]

The party supports the decentralisation of power and increasing the power of local governments. It also supports European integration. On social issues, it is against any forms of discrimination, with an emphasis on gender discrimination. The party also advocates for the separation of church and state.[14] The party also supports increasing the funding of the Polish healthcare system.[4]

Election results

Sejm

Election year Leader # of
votes 		% of
vote 		# of
overall seats won 		+/– Government
2019 Barbara Nowacka 113,278 0.6
5 / 460
 New PiS
As part of Civic Coalition, which won 134 seats in total.
2023 252,021 1.2
4 / 460
 Decrease 1 KO–PL2050–KP–NL
As part of Civic Coalition, which won 157 seats in total.

Presidential

Election year Candidate 1st round 2nd round
# of overall votes % of overall vote # of overall votes % of overall vote
2020 supported Rafał Trzaskowski 5,917,340 30.5 (#2) 10,018,263 48.9 (#2)

Regional Assemblies

Election year Percentage of
vote 		Number of
overall seats won 		+/–
2018 27.0 (#2)
2 / 552
As part of Civic Coalition, which won 194 seats in total.


Board[15]

Leader

Secretary

  • Tomasz Sybilski

Treasurer

  • Katarzyna Osowiecka

Other members

  • Anna Uzdowska-Gacek
  • Barbara Starska
  • Dariusz Joński
  • Szymon Wiłnicki
  • Adam Ostaszewski
  • Mateusz Rambacher
  • Arkadiusz Dzierżyński

References

  1. ^ a b
    • "Poland". Europe Elects. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
    • "Poland accused of abandoning domestic violence victims". the Guardian. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
    • Wilczek, Maria (2021-12-07). "Polish opposition parties unite to sign agreement on restoring rule of law". Notes From Poland. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
    • "Depresja polskiej demokracji. 13. grudnia pod siedzibą PiS". naTemat.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-12-28.
    • "Jak zblokowana opozycja robi durniów z polskich wyborców". wpolityce.pl. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
    • "Jak zblokowana opozycja robi durniów z polskich Wyborców". Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b
    • "Why do Poland's local elections matter?". EUROPP. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
    • S.A, Telewizja Polska. "New opposition grouping adds social tinge to liberal economics". tvpworld.com. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
    • Murawski, Michał (2019). The Palace complex : a Stalinist skyscraper, capitalist Warsaw, and a city transfixed. Bloomington, Indiana. ISBN 978-0-253-03999-6. OCLC 1086506859.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
    • "Jest nowa partia lewicowa - Inicjatywa Polska". Bankier.pl (in Polish). 2019-06-14. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
    • "Inicjatywa Polska stawia warunki Kidawie-Błońskiej. Takimi żądaniami sabotują kampanię". www.tvp.info (in Polish). 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  3. ^ "Polish Initiative - new left-wing association | Polska Agencja Prasowa SA". www.pap.pl.
  4. ^ a b Naklicka, Tatiana (2018-10-12). "Inicjatywa Polska". wiadomosci.wp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  5. ^ ""Inicjatywa Polska" - Pozycja 38713 - Numer 143/2019 (5782) z 25 lipca 2019 r. - Internetowy Monitor Sądowy i Gospodarczy". www.imsig.pl. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  6. ^ "Koalicja Europejska rozszerza się o nowe ugrupowania, m.in. UED, IP i KOD". May 14, 2019.
  7. ^ "Nowackiej zabrakło wśród liderów opozycji. Dlaczego?". fakty.interia.pl.
  8. ^ "Wybory do Sejmu i Senatu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 2019 r." sejmsenat2019.pkw.gov.pl.
  9. ^ wybory.gov.pl/prezydent20200628/
  10. ^ "Wybory Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej w 2020 r." wybory.gov.pl.
  11. ^ "Four questions on the Polish parliamentary elections". Centre for European Reform. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  12. ^ "Die polnische Opposition vor den Parlamentswahlen 2023: Liegt ein Machtwechsel in der Luft?". Konrad Adenauer Foundation (in German). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  13. ^ "Invitation: Poland has voted – Europe after the elections". Wielkopolska.eu (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  14. ^ "O nas – Inicjatywa Polska".
  15. ^ "Zarząd partii – Inicjatywa Polska".
  • v
  • t
  • e
Represented in
the Sejm
Represented in
the Senate
Represented in the
European Parliament
Other existing parties
and
political movements
Defunct parties
Polish–Lithuanian
Commonwealth
Pre-war and
inter-war eras
Communist era
Modern era
italic font – electoral alliances and/or popular fronts
*: Zbigniew Ajchler
**: Piotr Adamowicz et al.,
***: Marek Biernacki
****: not currently registered as a party