Such are the results of a TNS OBOP poll for the Institute of Public Affairs (ISP), an independent public policy think tank. According to the poll, 35 percent of respondents will 'definitely' go to vote, while 24 percent will 'certainly' not. Those who chose 'will probably vote' (14 percent), 'will probably not vote' (16 percent) and the undecided ones (11 percent) were asked why they were hesitant. To that question, 18 percent said they had no preferred candidate, 14 percent - that they knew too little about the election, and 14 percent - that they did not trust politicians.
We reported earlier about the poll's key findings - in early April one in two Poles did not know that members of the European Parliament were elected through universal suffrage, and one in three respondents thought they were elected by politicians from among themselves.
Decided to vote are more often those who believe that the balance of Poland's EU membership to date has been positive (44 percent) than those who think the country has lost more than it has gained (19 percent).
The percentages of Civic Platform (PO) and Law and Justice (
PiS) supporters planning to vote are similar. The PO looks a little better in this regard, with 70 percent of its supporters planning to vote, against 68 percent for the PiS. Democratic Left Alliance (
SLD) supporters are more hesitant, with only 59 percent certain to vote.
The poll also suggests that turnout will be highest in Silesia and lowest in eastern Poland. This matters, because the number of MEPs elected from the given region depends precisely on turnout.
TNS OBOP for the Institute of Public Affairs, 25 April 2009, 976-strong nationwide representative adult sample
translated by Marcin Wawrzyńczak
