Poles Head to the Polls

Posted on Jun 20, 2010

AP / Alik Keplicz

President Lech Kaczynski’s daughter Marta kneels at his casket at a state funeral April 18. Kaczynski and his wife were among 96 people killed when their plane crashed while trying to land in heavy fog in Smolensk, Russia, on April 10.

Poland’s presidential election is finally under way following the death of the country’s last president, Lech Kaczynski, in a plane crash two months ago. Acting President Bronislaw Komorowski was the favorite going in, expected to defeat the late president’s twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

The new president will take over at a time of key decisions for Poland, including integration into the euro zone, ending the unpopular mission in Afghanistan and carrying out market reforms. —JCL

The Guardian:

Voting is under way in Poland’s presidential elections, more than two months after the country’s last president, Lech Kaczynski, was killed in a plane crash.

The late president’s identical twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, faces an uphill battle to defeat the favourite, acting president Bronislaw Komorowski, despite a recent surge in sympathy for him.

The outcome is expected to shape Poland’s stance on issues such as the adoption of the euro, welfare reform and its mission in Afghanistan.

Poland is the only European Union country to have avoided recession during the global economic downturn. The election will also determine how it reacts to the new debt crisis.

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