Poland: European Union relations with Poland could be heading for difficulty after Polish voters ousted their post-communist government for a centre-right coalition headed by the eurosceptic Law and Order Party (PiS).
Exit polls gave the PiS 28 per cent of the poll while the pro-business Civic Platform (PO), its likely coalition partner, won 24 per cent.
Observers said that the low turnout, just 40 per cent of Poland's 30 million voters, reflected deep distrust of the main political parties.
"My intention is to repair the republic and, day by day, the truth of our words will be proven," said Mr Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the PiS and likely future prime minister last night.
The party's campaign was filled with promises of a "moral revolution" and tough talk on fighting crime and corruption.
The PiS was formed in 2001 by Mr Kaczynski and his twin brother Lech, and adopts an anti-liberal, anti-communist line.
Conservative on moral values, it favours a strong welfare state and is suspicious of further privatisation. It is highly suspicious of the EU, opposed the constitutional treaty and is against rushing Poland into the euro zone.
"The PiS will be more sceptical towards European policy, though they are in favour of membership," said Mr Piotr Kaczynski of the Institute of Public Affairs (ISP), in Warsaw.
"There will be a contradiction between government sentiment toward Europe, which is sceptical, and popular sentiment which is more favourable toward the union and favourable to greater integration and institutions."
Business leaders and financial markets were hoping for a PO victory, because of its clear goals to lower the national debt burden and 18 per cent unemployment rate, the highest in the EU.
But the PiS came from behind to make dramatic gains in the final days at the expense of the PO, attacking its 15 per cent flat tax proposal as neo-liberal and unfair to the poor.
There were already signs last night that the last bitter days of campaigning mean it will not be a happy, or stable, marriage between the two parties.
"Hopefully the [ PiS] will meet the requirements of good government," said Mr Jan Rokita, the PO lead candidate last night.
"Our role in government will be to ensure the right direction of reforms. When you read Kaczynski's programme you could have some anxieties about this," Mr Rokita added.
Both parties emerged from the Solidarity trade union movement that brought down the communist regime, but have followed very different political paths in the last 15 years.
The PO emerged from the liberal movement determined to drastically reform Poland.
The Kaczynski brothers backed Solidarity leader Lech Walesa's presidency ambitions originally, but split from him shortly afterwards.
Lech Kaczynski is running in the presidential election in two weeks' time, which will be a rematch between the PiS and the PO, with its leader Donald Tusk leading in polls.
No Polish government has been returned to power in 15 years of free elections and yesterday's poll was no exception. The governing Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) attracted just 11 per cent of the vote yesterday, down from 45 per cent, tainted by the same mass unemployment and sleaze it vowed to tackle in 2001.