SLD leads so far in local government elections, but by a disappointing margin

Poland's ruling left appears to have won last Sunday's local elections, but the victory was far from the knock-out the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) wanted in the run up to next year's European Union entry referendum. According to partial results yesterday, both center-right moderates and far-right Euroskeptics made gains in the polls, the last test of public opinion ahead of the EU referendum. The SLD won 39% of seats in the City Councils of 18 regional capitals, a new center-right alliance took 20%, and the nationalist anti-EU Polish Family League won 10%. Independents secured 29% of seats. "This is about what we expected, bearing in mind that ruling governments tend to do worse in mid-term elections," said Jerzy Jaskiernia, a top SLD official. The pro-EU, center-right alliance between Law and Justice (PiS) and the Civic Platform (PO), formed ahead of the local polls, is well placed to win several high-profile mayoral seats. In Warsaw, PiS leader Lech Kaczynski took 49% of the popular vote and will be up against the SLD's Marek Balicki in the second round of voting on November 10. (Reuters)