The Left (Poland)


The Left is a political alliance in Poland. Initially founded to contest the 2019 parliamentary election, existed in this format until 2024, the alliance of the New Left, Lewica Razem and other smaller parties.
It also originally consisted of Democratic Left Alliance and Spring until its merging to create the New Left, including the Polish Socialist Party that left the coalition in 2021. It is also supported by several minor left-wing parties, including Your Movement, Yes for Łódź, Urban Movement, and the Polish Communist Party.
The Left is a catch-all coalition of the Polish left, and it is positioned on the centre-left. It is mainly orientated towards the principles of social democracy, but it also advocates progressive, social-liberal and secular policies, including LGBT rights. Before Razem party left it, The Left also had left-wing and democratic socialist factions. It is supportive of Poland's membership in the European Union.
In the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, The Left coalition technically participated as the New Left party, whose list included representatives of Left Together, Labour Union, Polish Socialist Party, Freedom and Equality and Social Democracy of Poland.
WWW klub-lewica.org.pl

Voter base

As Lewica is formed as a unification of the Polish left, it has attempted to diversify its platform and appeal to a broader range of voters, rather than relying mostly on the votes of former officials and civil servants during the PPR period, which had been and continues to be one of the Democratic Left Alliance's largest voting blocs. This attempt, however, was met with somewhat limited success by the fact that the coalition's pro-LGBT rights platform failed to appeal to working class and economically left-leaning Poles, which tend to favour a more socially conservative policy. At the same time, the more liberally-oriented city-dwelling population, which could favour the party's proposed [Progressivism|socially Progressivism|progressive policies], found little appeal in the party's platform of economic interventionism.
Despite this, some sociologists theorized that the unification of the parties could lead to an overall mobilization of leftist voters, which could now feel that their vote for the coalition wouldn't be wasted. This was confirmed to be the case when Lewica succeeded in electing 49 members to the Sejm and 2 members to the Senate of Poland in the 2019 Polish parliamentary election, thus making the coalition Poland's third largest political force and overturning a four-year absence of left-wing representatives in Poland's parliament.
In addition, the party's platform, which differs greatly from the platforms of the other major Polish political parties, has managed to find some support among disillusioned younger and secular voters, which don't identify with any political force or even with the left, but instead desire "something new".
At the same time, the party also received a considerable boost in support among older voters after the ruling PiS party passed a "degradation law", which cut retirement pensions and disability benefits for thousands of former bureaucrats during the PPR period, whose main income was now directly threatened by the new government policy. This led to an expansion and consolidation of the otherwise shrinking of the Democratic Left Alliance's previously described voting bloc.

Opposition years (2019–2023)

The Left returned to the Sejm in the 2019 parliamentary elections as a broad alliance of left-wing parties, including the Democratic Left Alliance, Spring, and Together. In those elections, The Left won 49 seats, making it the third largest political force in the Polish parliament at the time. From 2019 to 2023, the party operated in opposition to the Law and Justice government. During this period, Lewica focused on social justice, the protection of workers’ rights, the expansion of welfare policies, gender equality, secularism, and the defense of minority and LGBT+ rights. It also emphasized public healthcare reform, affordable housing, and a progressive tax system. Despite its opposition status, the party occasionally supported government initiatives when these aligned with its social agenda, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It consistently criticized the government for undermining the rule of law, weakening democratic institutions, and restricting civil liberties. Lewica was particularly vocal on issues related to women’s rights, especially following the tightening of abortion laws in 2020, and actively supported mass social protests that emerged in response to these changes.

Coalition government (2023–present)

Following the parliamentary elections of October 2023, The Left became part of the new governing coalition, alongside the Civic Coalition and the Third Way alliance. Its entry into government marked a significant return to executive power after several years in opposition and reflected the broader political shift away from conservative rule in Poland. Within the coalition framework, Lewica positioned itself as the main representative of social-democratic and progressive values.
Since joining the government, Lewica has focused on translating its long-standing programmatic goals into concrete policy measures. Particular emphasis has been placed on social policy, labor relations, and equality issues. The party has advocated for strengthening workers’ rights, improving job security, and increasing the role of the state in protecting employees, especially those in precarious forms of employment. It has also promoted reforms aimed at expanding access to public housing and improving the functioning of social welfare systems.
In the area of civil rights, Lewica has sought to advance policies related to gender equality, anti-discrimination protections, and the rights of minority groups. The party has emphasized the need to restore respect for the rule of law, reinforce democratic institutions, and rebuild trust between the state and civil society. Secularism and the clearer separation of church and state have remained important elements of its agenda within the governing coalition.
As part of the government, Lewica has also supported a strongly pro-European orientation, backing closer cooperation with European Union institutions and alignment with EU legal and democratic standards. While operating within a coalition that requires compromise, the party has aimed to maintain its distinct ideological identity by consistently emphasizing social justice, equality, and inclusiveness. Its participation in government since 2023 has therefore represented both an opportunity to implement left-wing policies and a test of its ability to balance principles with coalition governance.

Ideology

The 2019 electoral program of the Left included:

Parliamentary group

Parliamentary group under the name Coalition Parliamentary Club of the Left is chaired by Anna Maria Żukowska. It currently has 21 members in the Sejm, and 8 senators.

Election results

Regional Assemblies

ElectionLeaderPopular vote% of votesSeatsRef
2024Włodzimierz Czarzasty,
Robert Biedroń		911,430
6.32