Via – Houston Chronicle

WARSAW, — Poland’s conservative ruling Law and Justice party capitalized on its popular social spending policies to do even better at the ballot box than when it swept to power four years ago, according to nearly complete results reported Monday.

If confirmed, the results from Sunday’s general election would be the strongest showing for a single Polish party in a parliamentary election in 30 years, since Poland threw off communism to establish democracy.

Law and Justice won just under 44% of Sunday’s vote, up from 38% in 2015, according to results reported by the state electoral commission based on 99.5% of the votes. Under the Polish system for seat distribution, the party will still have a majority in the 460-seat lower house of parliament, but only a few seats more than before.

The Civic Coalition, a centrist alliance built around the Civic Platform party, once led by EU leader Donald Tusk, was running second with over 27% support.

Pending results from voting abroad could still adjust the figures somewhat.

Turnout was at a record high of over 61% in a sign of how important voters on all sides considered this election.

Despite the win, Law and Justice leaders were not overly enthusiastic. The result leaves them short of the two-thirds majority that they sought to change the constitution as they reshape Poland into a modern state rooted in a conservative Roman Catholic outlook that rejects abortion and gay rights.

“We achieved a lot, but we deserve more,” party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski declared in a victory speech late Sunday.

A political adviser to the ruling party, Andrzej Zybertowicz, said that Kaczynski had counted on a “strong advantage in parliament.”

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