Poland has a multi-party political system. On the national level, Poland elects the head of state – the president – and a legislature. There are also various local elections, referendums and elections to the European Parliament.
Poland has a long history of public elections dating back several centuries, beginning with the elections to Sejm in Łęczyca (known as the First Sejm) in 1182. Notably, since the Sejm of 1493, Polish kings were obliged to call regular Sejms and regional elections (sejmiks) every two years. From 1573 until 1795 the state system of elective monarchy in Poland required the royal elections of monarchs as well during the Sejm proceedings.
The first modern and free elections in 20th-century Poland were held in 1919, two months after the country regained independence in 1918 after over a century of partition and occupation by foreign powers. After the Second World War, Poland fell into the Soviet sphere of influence as a satellite state and became controlled by the communists, who rigged the elections of 1947 to ensure they controlled the entire Polish government. There were regular elections in Poland from that time on; however, no elections until the groundbreaking elections of 1989, marking the fall of communism, were free. The Polish communists secured a majority of the lower house seats in 1989, but allowed opposition parties to take up seats.
History
The first Polish Sejm was called in 1182. Since the Sejm of 1493, called by king John I Olbracht in 1493, Sejms were to be held every 2 years. There were also special Sejms when needed, for example the coronation sejms.
The most famous Sejms included the Sejm Niemy or the Silent Sejm of 1717 which marked the beginning of Russian control over Polish internal affairs; the subsequent Repnin Sejm or the Sejm of 1767/1768, whose terms were dictated by the Russian ambassador Repnin; the Great Sejm – or the Four-Years Sejm of 1798–1792, which voted for the May Constitution of Poland; and the Grodno Sejm – last Sejm of the First Republic.
Since the death of Sigismund II Augustus, last of the Jagiellonian dynasty, and following a brief period of interregnum, the entire nobility (szlachta) of the Commonwealth (10% of the population) could take part in the elections of the monarchs. Last elected king was Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1764. He abdicated in 1795 after the partitions of Poland ended the existence of sovereign state of Poland for 123 years.
It is disputed how free were elections held after 1926; in particular, the 1930 elections are often considered to have been non-free :pl:Wybory brzeskie. Polish presidents were elected by the Sejm and Senate (Zgromadzenie Narodowe), not in a popular vote. Before 1922, the Polish Chief of State was called Naczelnik Państwa.
Only the 1947 and 1989 elections can be considered as partially free. All others were controlled during that period. There were no direct presidential elections until 1990, with President Bolesław Bierut's nomination in 1947 by the Sejm and the abolition of the office by the 1952 constitution.
Polish elections 1573 to 1985
Polish election, Royal elections
1st 1573 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
2nd 1576 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
3rd 1587 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
4th 1632 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
5th 1648 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
6th 1669 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
7th 1674 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
8th 1697 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
9th 1704 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
10th 1733 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
11th 1764 Polish–Lithuanian royal election
Presidential elections
1st Polish election, 1922 (9 Dec) 2nd Polish election, 1922 (20 Dec) 3rd Polish election, 1926 (May) 4th Polish election, 1926 (Jun) 5th Polish election, 1933 6th Polish election, 1947
Legislative elections
1st Polish election, 1919
2nd Polish election, 1922
3rd Polish election, 1928
4th Polish election, 1930
5th Polish election, 1935
6th Polish election, 1938
7th Polish election, 1947
8th Polish election, 1952
9th Polish election, 1957
10th Polish election, 1961
11th Polish election, 1965
12th Polish election, 1969
13th Polish election, 1972
14th Polish election, 1976
15th Polish election, 1980
16th Polish election, 1985
Post-Communist Poland
Since 1991, Polish elections operate according to a typical representative democracy.