Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe jako partia piwotalna w polskim systemie partyjnym
The Polish People’s Party as a Pivotal Party in the Polish Party System and Coalition Politics
Author(s): Kinga WojtasSubject(s): Political history, Government/Political systems, Electoral systems, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Present Times (2010 - today)
Published by: Wydział Nauk Politycznych i Studiów Międzynarodowych UW
Keywords: Polish People’s Party; pivotal parties; party system; coalition politics; Third Polish Republic; parliamentary elections;
Summary/Abstract: The article examines the role of the Polish People’s Party (PSL) in the Polish party system between 1991 and 2015, focusing on its function as a pivotal party in coalition politics. Drawing on theoretical approaches to cabinet coalition research (including de Swaan, Remy, Strøm, Müller, Bergman) and data from the Comparative Manifesto Project, the study analyses PSL’s ideological position and its arithmetic importance in forming parliamentary majorities. The findings show that PSL acted as a pivotal party in five out of seven analysed parliamentary terms, most often as a balance or wing party. The analysis confirms the pragmatic nature of PSL’s strategy, combining office-seeking and policy-seeking motives, and highlights the importance of ideological flexibility in multiparty systems.
Journal: Studia Politologiczne
- Issue Year: 78/2025
- Issue No: 78
- Page Range: 162-188
- Page Count: 27
- Language: Polish
