Absence
Questions about the justice of current regulations come back as boomerang practically at all parliamentary and presidential election. In principle, it could be concluded that the Constitution clearly states that the right to vote, as well as to vote in a peculiar country, is linked to citizenship. It follows straight that a individual of Polish nationality, whether in China, France, Kenya or Australia, has the right to vote. In order to lose this right, she would gotta renounce Polish citizenship.
My problem with this is due to the deficiency of feeling the effects, both affirmative and negative, of voters. Since in the second circular of Poles who have been surviving permanently in the US for almost a decade, they want to vote for Nawrocki or Trzaskowski, we should ask the question what its intent is. After all, he is absent and has no intention of returning to Poland, and even if he declares so, no instruments have been established to oblige him. specified a individual arranges life for others, knowing that he will actually gain nothing from the “cross”.
Polonia does not feel the current regulation in Poland. It can only draw cognition of situations from the country through the media, but it is inactive a couch position, which is rather safe. Polonia does not pay taxes in Poland either, so in a sense it loses the option to accuse our politicians that they are spending the contents of her wallet badly. There may, of course, be exceptions here, as a Pole surviving in another country may proceed to conduct economical activity in Poland.
This deficiency of impact could be addressed by the usage of a breakdown of long- and short-term migrants. If a Pole were to stay outside the country for a long time, he would automatically lose the chance to vote. It is worth noting that although voting abroad is simply a standard in many European countries, it does not look like the Polish ground everywhere.
Let us at least give an example of our western neighbours – in Germany citizens lose their right to participate in elections after 25 years of surviving abroad. In Britain, however, this period is 15 years.
Polonia does not vote on its behalf
There is besides an alternate origin from which Polonia gets information about his country – this is about his family. I have already met respective times with the argument that due to concern for the closest passive electoral law, Poles surviving in another countries should be entitled to vote. Problem is, it's a hollow argument.
However, let us focus first on most of us, namely voters in Poland. It doesn't substance what motives guide us erstwhile we cast a voice in the urn – we yet vote as we think we should. We do this for ourselves, even if we explain to ourselves that it is “better Poland”, “good representation on the global stage” or “the safety of our family”. But we can never be certain that our wife, brother or father share the same opinion on this matter. Everyone votes individually, guided by any ideas about the world, how it presents itself at the moment, and how we think it should look. So I don't see the request for an American aunt to talk for me.
So let him vote in his own – individual will tell. However, I do not think that Polonia can do this, since – what I repeat again – does not live here at all. I will take my chances more powerfully and say that since a individual who has been absent in the country for a long time has had the right to vote, why can't a foreigner who has not had citizenship, but has lived in Poland for years, do so? I'm not saying he should be given specified a right, but I'm talking about any inconsistency.
Doesn't it matter?
Another argument I met with was based on the belief that the voting Polonia is inactive comparatively small, so it does not have the strength to outweigh the election results. Are you sure? In the beginning, I cited the figures associated with the Polonia turnout at the past presidential election. I don't think more than half a million voters are small.
It is adequate to mention erstwhile results. erstwhile Andrzej Duda applied for another word in 2020, he won with Rafał Trzaskowki in the second circular by just 2.03 percent points. What happened a fewer weeks ago? The difference between Trzaskowski and Nawrocki was even little – 1.78 percent points. We are talking about Nawrocki's advantage based on just a fewer 100 1000 votes more than his rival. That's a close win.
We can besides draw attention to the elections in Romania in 2009. It was then that Traian Băsescu won in the second circular with Mircea Geoana with an advantage of about 70 1000 votes. It was decisive that the emigrants supported him, with over 80,000 votes more than his rival. It was estimated that if the vote was impossible abroad, the election winner would be Geoană.
From abroad and yet in the capital
According to the current electoral decree, votes cast abroad are assigned to the Warsaw district. And that besides raises many doubts. This is due to the fact that the situation may lead to a simplification in the representativeness of election results. The people of the capital may feel that their voices are blurred by the voices of the Polish people.
Is there a solution to this situation? There are proposals in the public area to make alleged "polonian districts" that would supply the Polish people with direct representatives in Parliament. However, this thought is already rather a fewer years old and does not seem to be considered. However, it is known that there are countries in the planet that include specified districts.
