it became the first party to win an absolute majority in a Polish election since the fall of communism in 1989. Andrzej Duda took over as President in 2015 replacing Bronislaw Komorowski of the centrist Civic Platform. Te Civic Platform (PO) was co-founded by Donald Tusk in 2001 and was in power from 2007 until 2015.


Over the last few years the party has moved the country into an illiberal direction and alarm bells have been ringing in Brussels over its efforts to control the judiciary.


Te PiS today is headed by Chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski who co-founded PiS in 2001 with his


twin brother Lech who was later elected President in 2005. Lech later died five years later in a plane crash in Russia.


Although Kaczynski served as Prime Minister between 2006 and 2007, he now governs from behind the scenes but remains one of Poland’s least trusted politicians. In 2015, he made Beata Szydlo Prime Minister and she became the face of many of Poland’s generous welfare policies. Kaczynski later replaced her with former finance minister Mateusz Morawiecki.


Te conservative PiS party have promoted strict Christian values, are homophobic and are considered a right-wing party intend on


safeguarding Poland against migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa as well as from LGBT people. Despite this it remains the most popular party in Poland and the country continues to develop.


Meanwhile tourism figures are increasing rapidly. Safety appears to be a key reason. Poland is viewed as a safe, friendly and hospitable country whilst the country’s cultural and natural heritage is a huge draw.


Total tourists in 2018 amounted to 19.6 million (18.2 million in 2017) with an expenditure of PLN34.5bn and an average expenditure of PLN1,759 (€430) per person. Tere are over


NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA P193


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