Editing Polish People's Party (section)

==History==

===Before 1945===
The party's name traces its tradition to an agrarian party in [[Austria-Hungary|Austrian]]-controlled [[Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria|Kingdom of Galicia]], which sent MPs to the [[Reichsrat (Austria)|parliament in Vienna]].<ref name="history">{{Cite web|title=Nasza historia|url=https://www.psl.pl/historia/|website=psl.pl|language=pl}}</ref> The party was formed in 1895 in the Polish town of [[Rzeszów]] under the name Stronnictwo Ludowe (People's Party). The party changed its name in 1903 to what it's known as now. The party was led by Wincenty Witos and was quite successful, seating representatives in the Galician parliament before the turn of the 19th century. In the [[Second Polish Republic]] there were a few parties named PSL ([[Polish People's Party "Wyzwolenie"]], [[Polish People's Party "Piast" (1913–31)|Polish People's Party "Piast"]], [[Polish People's Party "Left"]] and others) until they were removed by the [[Sanacja]] regime (see also [[People's Party (Poland)|People's Party]]).<ref name="history" />

During this time, there were two parties using the term "Polish People's Party", namely [[Polish People's Party "Piast" (1913–31)|Polish People's Party "Piast"]] and [[Polish People's Party "Wyzwolenie"]] (which were merged into [[People's Party (Poland)|People's Party]] with [[Stronnictwo Chłopskie]]). During [[World War II]], PSL took part in forming the [[Polish government in exile]].<ref name="history" />

===Under the communist regime===
[[File:PSL w Powiatach Barry Kent.png|right|thumb|250px|Support for the PSL by region in [[2007 Polish parliamentary election]]]]
In June 1945 after the war [[Stanisław Mikołajczyk]], a PSL leader who had been Prime Minister of the Polish government in exile, returned to communist-dominated Poland, where he joined the [[Provisional Government of National Unity|provisional government]] and [[Polish People's Party (1945–1949)|rebuilt PSL]]. The party hoped to win the [[Yalta Conference]]-mandated elections and help establish a [[parliamentary system]] in Poland. However, the party soon found itself targeted with intimidation, arrests and violence by the communist secret police.<ref>{{cite book|title=Iron Curtain: The crushing of Eastern Europe 1944-1956|last=Applebaum|first=Anne|year = 2012|pages=212–213}}</ref>

The communists also formed a rival ersatz 'Peasants' party' controlled by them, in order to confuse voters. The [[1947 Polish legislative election|January 1947 parliamentary election]] was heavily rigged, with the communist-controlled bloc claiming to have won 80% of the vote. The PSL were said to have won just 10% of the vote, but many neutral observers believe the PSL would have won the election had it been conducted fairly.<ref name="history" />

Mikołajczyk was soon compelled to flee Poland for his life in October 1947. The communists then forced the remains of Mikołajczyk's PSL to unite with the pro-communist People's Party to form the [[United People's Party (Poland)|United People's Party]]. The ZSL was a governing partner in the [[Front of National Unity|ruling coalition]].<ref name="Ost Solidarity 34-36">[[David Ost]], ''Solidarity and the Politics of Anti-Politics'', pp. 34-36, 1990 Philadelphia, [[Temple University Press]], {{ISBN|0-87722-655-5}}</ref>

=== Post-communist period (1990–2003) ===
Around the time of the [[fall of communism]], several PSLs were recreated, including [[Polish People's Party–Peasants' Agreement|Porozumienie Ludowe]], Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe-Odrodzenie, and Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (Wilanów faction). In 1989, most merged into one party and took part in forming the first postwar noncommunist government in Poland with the [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity]] grouping; in 1990, the party changed its name to PSL.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122529970|title=Partie i ugrupowania parlamentarne III RP|date=2006|publisher=Duet|others=Krzysztof Kowalczyk, Jerzy Sielski|isbn=978-83-89706-84-3|location=Toruń|oclc=122529970}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Pierwsze powszechne wybory prezydenckie|url=https://www.infor.pl/prawo/wybory/prezydenckie/686946,Pierwsze-powszechne-wybory-prezydenckie.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.infor.pl|language=en}}</ref>

It remained on the left of Polish politics in the 1990s, entering into coalitions with the postcommunist [[Democratic Left Alliance (Poland)|Democratic Left Alliance]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56578088|title=Partie i koalicje polityczne III Rzeczypospolitej|date=2004|publisher=Wydawn. Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego|others=Krystyna Anna Paszkiewicz|isbn=83-229-2493-3|edition=Wyd. 3., uzup. i uaktualnione|location=Wrocław|oclc=56578088}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Obalamy 5 mitów "nocy teczek"|url=https://www.tokfm.pl/Tokfm/7,103087,11841822,obalamy-5-mitow-nocy-teczek.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=TOK FM|date=4 June 2012 |language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2011|title=Polscy marszałkowie Sejmu po 1989 r.|url=https://www.polityka.pl/galerie/1521196,1,polscy-marszalkowie-sejmu-po-1989-r.read|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.polityka.pl|language=pl}}</ref> In the [[2001 Polish parliamentary election|2001 parliamentary elections]], PSL received 9% of votes and formed a coalition with the Democratic Left Alliance, an alliance which later broke down. Since then, PSL has moved towards more [[centrism|centrist]] and [[conservatism|conservative]] policies.

=== Opposition years (2003–2007) ===
The party ran in the [[2004 European Parliament election in Poland|2004 European Parliament election]] as part of the [[European People's Party]] (EPP) and received 6% of the vote, giving it four of 54 Polish seats in the [[European Parliament]].<ref name=":0"/><ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-02-04|title=Wojciechowski: tworzymy PSL-Piast|url=https://www.wprost.pl/kraj/86630/wojciechowski-tworzymy-psl-piast.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=Wprost|language=pl}}</ref> In the [[2005 Polish parliamentary election|2005 general election]], the party received 7% of votes, giving it 25 seats in the Sejm and two in the Senate. In the [[2007 Polish parliamentary election|2007 parliamentary elections]], the party placed fourth, with 8.93% of the vote and 31 out of 460 seats, and entered into a governing coalition with the victor, the [[Centre-right politics|centre-right conservative]] [[Civic Platform]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-10-11|title=Myśl Polska » Radość i gorycz zwycięstwa|url=http://sol.myslpolska.pl/2012/11/radosc-i-gorycz-zwyciestwa/|access-date=2022-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011055911/http://sol.myslpolska.pl/2012/11/radosc-i-gorycz-zwyciestwa/|archive-date=11 October 2013}}</ref> In European parliament elections PSL received 7.01% of votes in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20090880729|title=Dz.U. 2009 nr 88 poz. 729|website=isap.sejm.gov.pl|language=pl}}</ref> In the [[2011 Polish parliamentary election|2011 national parliamentary election]], Polish People's Party received 8.36% votes which gave them 28 seats in the Sejm and two mandates in the Senate.<ref name="pkw-results2011">{{cite web|url=http://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wsw/en/000000.html|title=Elections 2011 - Election results|publisher=National Electoral Commission|access-date=20 November 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214075746/http://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wsw/en/000000.html|archive-date=14 December 2011}}</ref>

=== Coalition government (2007–2015) ===
After the [[2007 Polish parliamentary election|parliamentary elections in 2007]], PSL won 8.91% of the popular vote and 31 seats,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wybory 2011|url=https://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wsw/pl/000000.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl}}</ref> it joined the government coalition led by Civic Platform. [[Waldemar Pawlak]] was appointed deputy prime minister, [[Marek Sawicki]] was appointed as agriculture minister, and [[Jolanta Fedak]] was appointed as labor minister. In the [[2009 European Parliament election in Poland|2009 European Parliament election]], it won 3 seats.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wybory do Parlamentu Europejskiego 2009|url=https://pe2009.pkw.gov.pl/PUE/PL/WYN/M/index_pos.htm|access-date=2022-01-11|website=pe2009.pkw.gov.pl}}</ref> After the [[Smolensk air disaster]], [[2010 Polish presidential election|presidential elections]] were held in which Pawlak placed fifth, winning 1.75% of the vote. In the second round they didn't state their support for anyone.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wybory 2010|url=https://prezydent2010.pkw.gov.pl/PZT/PL/WYN/W/index.htm|access-date=2022-01-11|website=prezydent2010.pkw.gov.pl}}</ref>

In the 2010 local government elections, PSL obtained 16.3% of the votes in the elections to voivodship assemblies, in which it received 93 seats. In the [[Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship|Świętokrzyskie sejmik]], the party received the most seats. In all parliamentary assemblies, PSL found itself in ruling coalitions with the PO, in four voivodeships receiving the positions of marshals. In the elections to poviat councils, the PSL committee obtained 15.88%, and in the elections to municipal councils 11% of the votes. The PSL won the largest number of village leaders (428) and mayors in the country, and in Zgierz, the party's candidate won the presidential election. In 2011, a PiS senator defected to PSL.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-03-03|title=Senator odchodzi z PiS do PSL-u bo "chce pracować"|url=https://www.wprost.pl/kraj/234047/senator-odchodzi-z-pis-do-psl-u-bo-chce-pracowac.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=Wprost|language=pl}}</ref>

In the [[2011 Polish parliamentary election|parliamentary elections of 2011]], PSL obtained 8.36% of votes on the list of candidates for the Sejm.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wybory 2011|url=https://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wsw/pl/000000.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl}}</ref> The party also won two seats in the Senate.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wybory 2011|url=https://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wsw/pl/000000.html#tabs-2|access-date=2022-01-11|website=wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl}}</ref> Eugeniusz Grzeszczak became the deputy speaker of the Sejm on behalf of the PSL.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Głosowanie nr 5 na 1. posiedzeniu Sejmu|url=https://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm7.nsf/agent.xsp?symbol=glosowania&NrKadencji=7&NrPosiedzenia=1&NrGlosowania=5|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.sejm.gov.pl}}</ref> PSL again became a partner of the PO in the government coalition. On December 7, 2011, as a result of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, Arkadiusz Bratkowski, a PSL politician, assumed a mandate in the European Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wschodni|first=Dziennik|title=Arkadiusz Bratkowski europosłem|url=https://www.dziennikwschodni.pl/lublin/arkadiusz-bratkowski-europoslem,n,1000141291.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=Dziennik Wschodni|language=pl}}</ref>

In July 2012, Stanisław Kalemba replaced Marek Sawicki as the minister of agriculture and rural development. Pawlak was defeated during the presidential election by [[Janusz Piechociński]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=S.A|first=Wirtualna Polska Media|date=2012-11-17|title=Janusz Piechociński nowym prezesem PSL. Waldemar Pawlak: chcę odejść z rządu|url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/janusz-piechocinski-nowym-prezesem-psl-waldemar-pawlak-chce-odejsc-z-rzadu-6031543655412865a|access-date=2022-01-11|website=wiadomosci.wp.pl|language=pl}}</ref> Two days later, Waldemar Pawlak announced his resignation as deputy prime minister and minister of economy. He was dismissed from both functions on November 27. On December 6, both these offices were taken over by Janusz Piechociński.

In January 2014, PSL decided to establish cooperation with SKL and Samoobrona, but SKL already in February announced that Jarosław Gowin joined Poland Together, and the PSL talks about a joint election campaign with Samoobrona did not end with an agreement. In March, MP Andrzej Dąbrowski left PSL.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-22|title=PSL z Samoobroną razem w walce o PE - rp.pl|url=http://www.rp.pl/artykul/1080149.html|access-date=2022-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722064857/http://www.rp.pl/artykul/1080149.html|archive-date=22 July 2015}}</ref> The party's candidate in the 2015 presidential election was the marshal of the Świętokrzyskie Province, party vice president Adam Jarubas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jarubas kandydatem PSL na prezydenta. "Prezes poszedł na ostro"|url=https://tvn24.pl/polska/psl-zdecydowalo-ze-adam-jarubas-bedzie-kandydatem-na-prezydenta-ra510983-3291668|access-date=2022-01-11|website=TVN24|date=31 January 2015 |language=pl}}</ref> He placed 6th, obtaining 238,761 votes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=PKW {{!}} www.prezydent.2015.pkw.gov.pl|url=https://prezydent2015.pkw.gov.pl/319_Pierwsze_glosowanie.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=prezydent2015.pkw.gov.pl}}</ref> Before the second round, PSL was involved in the campaign of the then-incumbent President Bronisław Komorowski.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-05-12|title=Duże zmiany w sztabie Komorowskiego. Dołączają ludowcy...|url=https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/wybory-prezydenckie/artykuly/490253,zmiany-w-sztabie-komorowskiego-rybicki-koordynatorem-dolaczaja-ludowcy.html|access-date=2022-01-11|website=wiadomosci.dziennik.pl|language=pl}}</ref>

=== In Opposition (2015–2023) ===
{{See also|Polish Coalition}}At the [[2015 Polish parliamentary election|2015 parliamentary election]], the PSL dropped to 5.13% of the vote, just barely over the 5% threshold. With 16 seats, it was the smallest of the five factions in the Sejm.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/11/03/did-poland-just-vote-in-an-authoritarian-government|title=Did Poland just vote in an authoritarian government?|last1=Tworzecki|first1=Hubert|last2=Markowski|first2=Radosław|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=2015-11-03|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161205133304/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2015/11/03/did-poland-just-vote-in-an-authoritarian-government/|archive-date=5 December 2016}}</ref>

Since then, PSL has lost even more support to PiS during the [[2018 Polish local elections]] when they lost 87 seats and dropped to 12.07% unlike the 23.9% they got at the last local elections. After this, the party became a junior partner in coalition with the [[Civic Coalition (Poland)|Civic Coalition]] and SLD.

In the [[2019 European Parliament election in Poland|2019 European election]], PSL won three seats as a part of the [[European Coalition (Poland)|European Coalition]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://polskatimes.pl/nowi-europoslowie-2019-kto-zdobyl-mandaty-do-europarlamentu-lista-nazwiska-wyniki-wyborow-do-pe-zobacz-kto-zostal-europoslem/ar/c1-14160445|title=Nowi europosłowie 2019. Kto zdobył mandaty do europarlamentu? [LISTA] [NAZWISKA] Wyniki wyborów do PE. Zobacz, kto został europosłem!|last=Majewski|first=Marek|date=2019-05-30|website=Polska Times|language=pl-PL|access-date=2019-08-14}}</ref>

For the [[2019 Polish parliamentary election|parliamentary elections]] in the same year, PSL decided to create a [[Centrism|centrist]] and [[Christian democracy|Christian-democratic]] coalition called the [[Polish Coalition]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wiadomosci.radiozet.pl/Polska/Polityka/PSL-chce-koalicji-z-PO.-Bez-SLD-i-Wiosny|title=PSL chce koalicji z PO. Bez SLD i Wiosny|date=5 July 2019|website=wp.pl|access-date=19 August 2019}}</ref> The [[Polish Coalition]], apart from PSL, consisted of [[Kukiz'15]], [[Union of European Democrats]] and other [[Liberalism|liberal]], [[Catholic Church and politics|catholic]] and [[Regionalism (politics)|regionalist]] organisations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fakty.interia.pl/raporty/raport-wybory-parlamentarne-2019/aktualnosci/news-kto-do-koalicji-polskiej-rozmowy-z-kukiz-15-i-bezpartyjnymi-,nId,3110206|title=Kto w Koalicji Polskiej? PSL prowadzi rozmowy|website=fakty.interia.pl|language=pl|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fakty.interia.pl/raporty/raport-wybory-parlamentarne-2019/aktualnosci/news-psl-na-slasku-porozumienia-z-ugrupowaniami-regionalnymi,nId,3132669|title=PSL na Śląsku. Porozumienia z ugrupowaniami regionalnymi|website=fakty.interia.pl|language=pl|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvp.info/43853928/|title="Po wyborach wspólny klub. Nie ma tu dyskusji". PSL wchłonie Kukiz'15?|website=www.tvp.info|date=8 August 2019|language=pl|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref> The coalition managed to get 30 Sejm members elected, 20 of whom were members of PSL.

In November 2020, PSL decided to end coalition with [[Kukiz'15]] due to differences on negotiations on [[European Union|EU]] budget.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rmf24.pl/fakty/polska/news-pawel-kukiz-klub-koalicja-polska-podziekowal-nam-za-wspolpra,nId,4879251#crp_state=1|title=Paweł Kukiz: Klub Koalicja Polska podziękował nam za współpracę|website=rmf24.pl|language=pl|access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref>

Before the 2023 parliamentary elections [[Polish Coalition]] formed a [[Third Way (Poland)|broader alliance]] with centrist [[Poland 2050]] of [[Szymon Hołownia]].
=== Coalition government (2023–present) ===
After the [[2023 Polish parliamentary election|parliamentary elections in 2023]], [[Third Way (Poland)|Third Way]] block won 14.4% of the popular vote and 65 seats, it joined the government coalition with Civic Coalition and The Left. [[Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz]] was appointed as the deputy prime minister and as a Minister of National Defense, [[Czesław Siekierski]] was appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, [[Dariusz Klimczak]] was appointed as Minister of Infrastructure	and [[Krzysztof Hetman]] as Minister of Development and Technology. Because of the electoral success (65 MPs) [[Third Way (Poland)|Third Way]] block has also participated in [[2024 Polish local elections|2024 local]] getting 12.07% of the votes in the elections to voivodship assemblies, in which it received 80 seats.