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2003 Polish European Union membership referendum

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2003 Polish European Union membership referendum
7–8 June 2003 (2003-06-07 – 2003-06-08)
Do you approve of the Republic of Poland's accession to the European Union?
Ballot paper used in the referendum
OutcomeThe referendum passed, and Poland joined the EU the following year.
Results
Choice
 Votes %
Yes 13,514,872 77.45%
No 3,935,655 22.55%
Valid votes 17,450,527 99.28%
Invalid or blank votes 126,187 0.72%
Total votes 17,576,714 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 29,864,969 58.85%
Strength of the yes vote by voivodeship
Strength of the yes vote by voters abroad
Poland and the EU prior to its accession in 2004

A referendum on joining the European Union was held in Poland on 7 and 8 June 2003.[1] The proposal was approved by 77% of voters. Poland subsequently joined the European Union that year following the ratification of the Treaty of Accession 2003. The country's first European Parliament elections were held in 2004.

The referendum

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The referendum lasted two days,[2] which is unusual in Poland, as all previous referendums have been held on a single day. Voting took place from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM on the first day, then paused overnight. It resumed at 6:00 AM the following day and continued until 8:00 PM.[3]

It is the only referendum since the III Polish Republic to receive participation from over 50% of registered voters, making it the only binding referendum after 1989[4] (except for the 1997 referendum on the "Small Constitution," which did not have turnout requirements and took precedence over the 1995 Referendum Act that mandated a minimum turnout of 50% plus one voter).[5]

The total cost of conducting that referendum was 82,279,418 PLN.[6]

Question

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Do you approve of the Republic of Poland's accession to the European Union?

Party positions

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The governing Democratic Left Alliance and its junior coalition partner, the Labour Union, strongly campaigned for joining the EU. The biggest opposition party, the Civic Platform, was also strongly supportive of joining the EU. The agrarian Polish People's Party gave its support to the "Yes" campaign after its demands for the government were met in regards to farmers. The conservative Law and Justice party was openly critical of the EU's social agenda but ultimately supported joining the EU on economic grounds. The radical agrarian Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland was strongly Eurosceptic since its foundation but ultimately stayed neutral during the campaign. The far-right League of Polish Families was the only party in the Sejm which supported the "No" campaign.[7]

Position Party
Yes Democratic Left Alliance (SLD)
Civic Platform (PO)
Law and Justice (PiS)
Polish People's Party (PSL)
Labour Union (UP)
No League of Polish Families (LPR)
Neutral Self-Defence RP (SRP)

Note: The table lists the political parties which were represented in the Sejm at the time of the referendum.

Results

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ChoiceVotes%
For13,514,87277.45
Against3,935,65522.55
Total17,450,527100.00
Valid votes17,450,52799.28
Invalid/blank votes126,1870.72
Total votes17,576,714100.00
Registered voters/turnout29,864,96958.85
Source: Nohlen & Stöver[1]
  • Results by county
    Results by county
  • Results by municipality
    Results by municipality

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1491 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ "Dz.U. 2003 nr 66 poz. 613". Sejm. 2003-04-17. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  3. ^ "Dz. U. 2003 Nr 57 poz. 507". Sejm. 2003-04-17. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  4. ^ "Historyczne referenda III RP. O czym decydowali Polacy?". PAP. 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  5. ^ "Dz.U. 1997 nr 79 poz. 490" (PDF). Sejm. 1997-07-15. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  6. ^ "Informacja o wydatkach z budżetu państwa poniesionych na przygotowanie i przeprowadzenie w dniach 7 i 8 czerwca 2003 r. referendum ogólnokrajowego w sprawie wyrażenia zgody na ratyfikację Traktatu dotyczącego przystąpienia Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej do Uni". National Electoral Commission (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
  7. ^ Zuba, Krzysztof (2009). "Through the Looking Glass: The Attitudes of Polish Political Parties towards the EU before and after Accession". Perspectives on European Politics and Society. 10 (3): 326–349. doi:10.1080/15705850903105744. S2CID 153679861.
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