Civic Platform facts for kids

Quick facts for kids <div style="padding-top:0.3em; padding-bottom:0.3em; border-top:2px solid Lua error in Module:European_and_national_party_data/config at line 227: attempt to index field 'data' (a nil value).; border-bottom:2px solid Lua error in Module:European_and_national_party_data/config at line 227: attempt to index field 'data' (a nil value).; line-height: 1;"> Civic Platform of the Republic of Poland Platforma Obywatelska Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
Abbreviation	PO
Chairman	Donald Tusk
General Secretary	Marcin Kierwiński
Parliamentary leader	Zbigniew Konwiński
Spokesperson	Jan Grabiec
Founders	Donald Tusk Andrzej Olechowski Maciej Płażyński
Founded	24 January 2001; 24 years ago (2001-01-24)
Split from	Solidarity Electoral Action Freedom Union Conservative People's Party
Headquarters	ul. Wiejska 12A, 00-490 Warsaw
Membership (2023)	24,497
Ideology	Liberal Conservative Christian Democratic Pro-European
Political position	Centre-right
National affiliation	Civic Coalition Senate Pact 2023 (for 2023 Senate election)
European affiliation	European People's Party
European Parliament group	European People's Party Group
Colours	Orange      Blue
Sejm	126 / 460
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European Parliament	Lua error in Module:European_and_national_party_data/config at line 227: attempt to index field 'data' (a nil value).
Regional assemblies	210 / 552
City presidents	39 / 107
Website
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The Civic Platform (in Polish: Platforma Obywatelska, or PO) is a major political party in Poland. It is considered a centre-right party. This means its ideas are generally in the middle of the political spectrum, leaning towards conservative and liberal views.

The party's leader is Donald Tusk. He was also the leader from 2003 to 2014. From 2014 to 2019, he served as the President of the European Council, an important job in the European Union.

Civic Platform was created in 2001. It was formed by politicians who left other parties. It quickly became a major party. In 2007, it won the parliamentary election, and Donald Tusk became the Prime Minister of Poland. The party also won the presidential election in 2010 with its candidate, Bronisław Komorowski.

After Tusk left to work for the European Council in 2014, the party lost the elections in 2015. It remained the main opposition party for several years. In 2023, it returned to power as the leader of a group of parties called the Civic Coalition.

The party strongly supports Poland's membership in the European Union and NATO. It is a member of the European People's Party, a group of similar centre-right parties from across Europe.

History of the Party

How Civic Platform Began

Civic Platform was founded on January 24, 2001. Its founders were Andrzej Olechowski, Maciej Płażyński, and Donald Tusk. They came from different political groups but shared ideas about the economy and democracy.

In its first election in 2001, the party came in second. This made it the largest opposition party in the Sejm, which is Poland's main house of parliament. For a while, it worked with another party called Law and Justice (PiS). They even had a nickname, POPiS.

However, this partnership did not last. The two parties started to disagree on many issues. By the 2005 elections, they were competing against each other.

Years in Government (2007–2015)

In the 2007 parliamentary election, Civic Platform won the most votes. It received 41.5% of the vote and got 209 seats in the Sejm. Donald Tusk became the Prime Minister. He formed a government with the Polish People's Party (PSL).

In 2010, in a plane crash in Smolensk, Russia, the Polish president, Lech Kaczyński was killed. The acting president became Bronisław Komorowski of Civic Platform. Later that year, Komorowski won the presidential election. This gave the party control of both the government and the presidency.

The party won again in the 2011 parliamentary election. This made Donald Tusk's government the first to be re-elected since the end of communism in Poland in 1989.

Years in Opposition (2015–2023)

In 2014, Donald Tusk was chosen to be the President of the European Council. He was replaced as Prime Minister by Ewa Kopacz.

In the 2015 presidential election, Bronisław Komorowski lost to Andrzej Duda from the PiS party. Later that year, Civic Platform also lost the parliamentary election to PiS. For the next eight years, Civic Platform was the main opposition party.

During this time, the party formed the Civic Coalition with other parties to compete in elections. In 2021, Donald Tusk returned to Polish politics and became the leader of Civic Platform again.

Return to Power in 2023

In the 2023 parliamentary election, the Civic Coalition, led by Civic Platform, came in second place. However, the leading PiS party could not form a government.

So, the Civic Coalition joined with two other political groups to form a new government. In December 2023, Donald Tusk became Prime Minister of Poland for the second time.

What the Party Believes In

A Civic Platform banner at a march in Warsaw in 2023.

Civic Platform is mainly a centre-right party. Its ideas have changed over time.

Economic Ideas

When it started, the party had strong economically liberal ideas. This means it supported lower taxes and less government control over the economy.

While in power, the party's policies were more practical and aimed at the center. For example, instead of creating a flat tax, it raised the value-added tax (a tax on goods and services). After returning to power in 2023, the party focused on lowering some taxes for businesses.

The party also has a plan to deal with the climate crisis. It has promised to stop using coal to produce energy in Poland by the year 2040.

Social Ideas

On social issues, the party started as more conservative, based on Christian democratic values. Over the years, it has become more liberal.

For example, the party now supports civil unions for same-sex couples.

The party has also taken a strong stance against illegal immigration, especially from Russia and Belarus.

Who Supports the Party?

This map shows support for Civic Platform's candidate in 2010. The orange areas in the west and north of Poland show where the party is most popular.

Civic Platform gets most of its support from certain groups of people and parts of the country.

• Location: The party is very popular in big cities like Warsaw, and in the western and northern parts of Poland. It is less popular in small towns and the countryside.
• Voters: Supporters are often well-educated, middle-class people with professional jobs. This includes managers, specialists, and business owners.
• Beliefs: Many of its voters are pro-European. They want Poland to have a strong relationship with the European Union. They also tend to be moderate in their religious and political views.

The party also has support from regional groups, like the Kashubians in the north and Silesian regionalists in the south. Donald Tusk, who is Kashubian himself, has promised to recognize the Silesian language officially.

Party Leaders

No.	Image	Name	Tenure
1		Maciej Płażyński	18 October 2001– 1 June 2003
2		Donald Tusk	1 June 2003– 8 November 2014
3		Ewa Kopacz	8 November 2014– 26 January 2016
4		Grzegorz Schetyna	26 January 2016– 29 January 2020
5		Borys Budka	29 January 2020– 3 July 2021
(2)		Donald Tusk	since 3 July 2021

Election Results

Presidential Elections

Sejm Elections (Parliament)

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Government
2001	Maciej Płażyński	1,651,099	12.7% (#2)	65 / 460	New	Opposition
2005	Donald Tusk	2,849,259	24.1% (#2)	133 / 460	68	Opposition
2007	Donald Tusk	6,701,010	41.5% (#1)	209 / 460	76	PO–PSL Coalition
2011	Donald Tusk	5,629,773	39.2% (#1)	207 / 460	2	PO–PSL Coalition
2015	Ewa Kopacz	3,661,474	24.1% (#2)	138 / 460	69	Opposition
2019	Grzegorz Schetyna	5,060,355	27.4% (#2)	102 / 460	36	Opposition
	As part of Civic Coalition, which won 134 seats in total.
2023	Donald Tusk	6,629,402	30.7% (#2)	127 / 460	25	Coalition Government
	As part of Civic Coalition, which won 157 seats in total.

Images for kids

• 

  Bronisław Komorowski, former President of Poland (2010-2015)

• 

  Jerzy Buzek, former President of the European Parliament (2009-2012) and former Prime Minister of Poland (1997-2001)

• 

  Borys Budka, former leader of Civic Platform (2020-2021)

• 

  Bogdan Borusewicz, former Marshal of the Senate (2005-2015)

• 

  Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, former Mayor of Warsaw (2006-2018)

• 

  Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw and presidential candidate

• 

  Radosław Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs

See also

In Spanish: Plataforma Cívica para niños

• List of Civic Platform politicians
• Politics of Poland
• List of political parties in Poland
• Liberalism in Poland