Warsaw will react to lacklustre local vote and economy

Significance

Last year’s march was marred by far-right racism, with many foreign activists participating. A court overruled the Warsaw mayor’s attempt to ban the march this year. The ruling Law and Justice (PiS) tried to dilute neo-fascist participation with its own official celebrations, kept carefully away from nationalist displays. A few days earlier, the results from the final round of regional elections came as a disappointment for the PiS government, which had sought to broaden support among middle-class voters.

Impacts

• The October 2019 parliamentary elections will be held amid a likely economic slowdown.
• PiS will redouble efforts to win popularity after failing to build regionally on its 2015 national electoral triumph.
• PiS may be assisted at the EU level if as some predict the far-right performs well in the elections to the European Parliament in May.