Scheduled for June 9 in Poland (June 6, 7, and 8 in some other countries), the European Parliament elections in Poland follow closely after the local elections, which saw a disappointing turnout of 51.9%.

In the wake of a series of local run-off electoral races, Poland’s Prime Minister Tusk made a statement aiming at encouraging a high turnout in the June vote.

“It is either - strong, safe Poland within the bounds of a united Europe, or a country that is alone and embroiled in chaos, while exposed to Russian provocation and diversion,” Tusk wrote on the X platform on Sunday.

“That is what the European elections will determine. We cannot afford a low turnout. That is the lesson we should draw from today’s vote,” he added.

Poland is currently in the midst of the second round of local elections, the first round of which was held on April 7. Voters can cast their ballots for city, town, and commune mayors.

The run-off began at 7 am local time in 748 locations across the country, with polling stations set to close at 9 pm.

By noon, the turnout stood at 12.93%, as announced by the National Electoral Commission (PKW) during a press conference.

A 24-hour campaign silence period commenced at midnight on Friday, with the ban on campaigning scheduled to end after the closure of polling stations.