Poland's rights of asylum rights: election campaign, reforms and power games!

Poland's rights of asylum rights: election campaign, reforms and power games!

Polen - In Poland, the signs are on change. On Sunday, June 1, 2025, new tightening of asylum law came into force, which was introduced by the government under Donald Tusk. The main focus of these changes is to prevent possible abuse of visas and to regulate access to the labor market more strictly. Tusk emphasizes that Poland is now taking control of its limits. Migration was a central topic in the election campaign for the presidential office, with both Tusk’s conservative citizens' platform (PO) and the opposition PIS party dealt intensively. These changes in the law come into force to the presidential office exactly on the day of the runoff election, which caused a sensation and causes discussions. The turnout was significantly high until noon.

Links to the event: Süddeutsche reports in detail about the background. This choice is much more than a mere presidential election, because the new president will have a decisive influence on the government's ability to government. Additional tensions could arise from the occupied chamber for the influence of election, which is completely controlled by the PIS. This raises the question of whether the PIS could contest the election in the event of a tight defeat, which is not unfounded - after all, the European Court of Justice has classified this chamber as illegitimate.

election campaign and controversy allegations

The election campaign was characterized by violent debates. In the first round, the candidates Rafał Trzaskowski from the Po and Karol Nawrocki from the PIS were only 60,000 votes apart. Trzaskowski is supported by the government, but his campaign faces allegations of foreign election financing-a PR agency from Vienna is mentioned in concrete terms. While the Polish media reported on unofficial voting commercials, the state cyber security institute NASK found that they did not officially come from Trzaskow's campaign. These allegations throw shadows on the integrity of the choice and could significantly influence the mood in the electorate.

The tensions also includes the accusation of the targeted production of these spots by third parties in order to burden Trzaskowski later. The Civil Rights Organization AKCJA Democracja rejected the responsibility for the US Commission to examine the presumably illegal voting advertising. It is unclear how these political movements will affect the stability of Polish democracy in the long term. In the last elections in Poland there was no case in which judge declared an election to be invalid, which also complicated the situation.

future prospects for the PIS

The PIS, which received almost 44 percent of the votes in the recent parliamentary elections and thus became the strongest force in the SEJM, is under pressure. Despite an absolute majority in the most important part of the parliament, she has lost control of the Senate, which could also slow down the legislative work. In order to enforce their projects, the PIS could be dependent on pulling some selected senators on their side. However, a possible loss of the presidential election could change the balance of power in Poland in the long run. The political landscape is firmly on the move, and the framework conditions for reforms become more complex, especially since the opposition becomes stronger and the EU remains vigilant.

The PIS will try to continue their reforms - including the establishment of a welfare state and the redesign of the energy sector. But the challenges should not be underestimated: the party could face economic difficulties, especially if economic weakening within the EU also affects Poland. The party's successes so far and their handling of new draft law will be crucial for whether it can maintain the trust of the electorate. The pressure grows.

The situation in Poland is tense and develops rapidly. The coming days could be trend -setting and mean a deep cut into Polish politics. The fate of the PIS depends on how the electorate decides and what consequences the election ultimately has for the entire government policy.