Poles at the Polls!

Polish presidential candidate Lech Kaczynski (L) of the Law and Justice Party (they don't mince their words out there do they!) and his opponent Donald Tusk of the Civic Platform party shake hands.

(Pic c. Xinhua/AFP)

Yesterday saw amazing scenes at Southampton Polish Club on Portswood Road as some of the city's 8000- 11000 Poles attempted to cast their vote in the Polish general election. I walked past the club in blissful ignorance at about 8.30pm and saw quite a commotion going on. Business was brisk at the polling station that had been set up by the polish government. Apparently about 1300 people voted in person, many more casting their vote by post (hope they got back in time!). There has been quite a lot of campaigning going on in Southampton prior to the poll- leaflets were being distributed outside St Edmund's Church and a Polish government minister (of the outgoing administration as it turned out!) was pounding the streets in Southampton last week.

One wonders what the level of turnout would be if the Foreign Office was to set up a similar polling station in the height of the season in Ibiza for British nationals...