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Poland's United Left coalition holds pre-election convention

PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge 13.09.2015 19:10
Poland's United Left coalition held a convention in Warsaw on Sunday, six weeks before the country's general election.
From left: Wanda Nowicka, Krzysztof Gawkowski, Katarzyna Piekarska, Leszek Miller, Paulina Piechna-Więckiewicz, Waldemar Witkowski. Photo: PAP/Radek PietruszkaFrom left: Wanda Nowicka, Krzysztof Gawkowski, Katarzyna Piekarska, Leszek Miller, Paulina Piechna-Więckiewicz, Waldemar Witkowski. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka

The coalition brings together five parties, the dominant two of which are the Democratic Left Alliance and Your Movement, joined by the Polish Socialist Party, Labour United and the Greens.

Key manifesto points unveiled on Sunday included a pledge to raise the minimum monthly wage to PLN 2,500 (about EUR 594).

The coalition likewise wants to increase pensions and cut income tax for low-earners.

It also aims to lower the retirement age (which was recently raised to 67 for both sexes).

The coalition has also spoken out in favour of taking in refugees, a highly divisive issue in Poland at present.

A recent opinion poll by IBRIS for Radio ZET indicated that the coalition would garner 8.3 percent of the public's vote, putting the grouping in third place, behind conservative opposition party Law and Justice (39.1 percent) and Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz's Civic Platform party (19 percent), both of which held conventions on Saturday.

However, leader of the Democratic Left Alliance Leszek Miller was upbeat in his forecast.

“We want to win, we can win, so we will win,” he enthused. (nh/rk)

tags: United Left
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