Parliamentary Elections Wrap Up

Poland has voted in its parliamentary elections, re-electing the centre-right Civic Platform (PO) party into power - the first time a party won elections twice in a row since the fall of communism.

Led by Donald Tusk, the PO gained 39 percent of the nationwide vote, with the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party in second place with nearly 30 percent support. One of the biggest surprises of the evening was the party who landed in third place - the Palikot Movement led by former Civic Platform MP Janusz Palikot. The liberal party gained 10 percent of the vote in its first election. The success of the Palikot Movement has seen the election of the first openly gay MP in Poland as well as the first transsexual MP in Europe.

It is expected that the Civic Platform party will look to form a coalition to gain a majority in the parliament, most likely with former coalition partners the Polish Peasant's party (PSL).