thumb|upright=0.75|right|Old logo of the party, used between 2001 and 2005
Law and Justice (, PiS) is a right-wing populist and national-conservative political party in Poland. The party is a member of European Conservatives and Reformists Group. Its chairman is Jarosław Kaczyński, since 18 January 2003.
PiS was founded in 2001 by Jarosław and Lech Kaczyński as a direct successor of the Centre Agreement after it split from the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS). Despite a poor showing in the 2001 parliamentary election, where it came 4th, PiS won the 2005 presidential and parliamentary elections and formed the Marcinkiewicz and Kaczyński governments. The governments included coalition ministers from the League of Polish Families and Self-Defence before collapsing in 2007. The rival Civic Platform (PO) emerged victorious in the 2007 snap election and formed a coalition with the Polish People's Party, which served two terms, retaining a majority in the 2011 parliamentary election. PiS lost the presidency following the death of president Lech Kaczyński and administration officials in the Smolensk air disaster — acting president Bronisław Komorowski of PO was elected to the presidency in 2010, winning against Jarosław Kaczyński in the second round.
Law and Justice concluded its period in opposition when it won an upset victory in the 2015 presidential election and an outright majority of seats in the 2015 parliamentary election, retaining its majority in 2019 and the presidency in 2020. It governed for eight years, forming the Szydło and Morawiecki cabinets, until losing its parliamentary majority in 2023 and returning to opposition despite winning the highest number of seats. The party's candidate, Karol Nawrocki, scored another upset victory in the 2025 presidential election.
During its foundation, it sought to position itself as a centrist Christian democratic party, although shortly after, it adopted more culturally and socially conservative views and began their shift to the right. Under Kaczyński's national-conservative and law and order agenda, PiS embraced economic interventionism. During the 2010s, it also adopted right-wing populist positions. After regaining power in 2015, PiS gained popularity with more populist and social policies. It has also pursued close relations with the Catholic Church. The party is also described as "left-paternalistic", and left-conservative.
It is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists, and on national-level, it heads the United Right coalition. It has been accused of authoritarianism and contributing to democratic backsliding, and attracted widespread international criticism and domestic protest movements.
History
Formation
The party was created on a wave of popularity gained by Lech Kaczyński while heading the Polish Ministry of Justice (June 2000 to July 2001) in the AWS-led government, although local committees began appearing from 22 March 2001.The AWS itself was created from a diverse array of many small political parties.
In coalition government: 2005–2007
thumb|right|Former regional office of PiS in Zwycięstwa Street in [[Osiedle Antoniuk, Białystok|Antoniuk District of Białystok, May 2019]]
In the 2005 general election, PiS took first place with 27.0% of votes, which gave it 155 out of 460 seats in the Sejm and 49 out of 100 seats in the Senate. It was almost universally expected that the two largest parties, PiS and Civic Platform (PO), would form a coalition government.
In the 2006 Polish local elections that took place in November 2006, PiS narrowly lost the contest for the first place with Civic Platform. However, the coalition partners of Law and Justice, Samoobrona and LPR, lost roughly two-thirds of their supports in the elections, questioning the stability of the coalition. On 6 September 2007, the Sejm was dissolved and the 2007 snap election was called.
In opposition: 2007–2015
thumb|[[Jarosław Kaczyński and Andrzej Duda, 18 April 2013]]
In the 2007 general election, PiS managed to secure 32.1% of votes. Although an improvement over its showing from 2005, the results were nevertheless a defeat for the party, as Civic Platform (PO) gathered 41.5%. The party won 166 out of 460 seats in the Sejm and 39 seats in Poland's Senate. The two partners of PiS from the 2006-2007, Samoobrona and LPR, fell below 5% and lost all theirs seats, despite polling around 5% shortly before the election. Jarosław Kaczyński became the sole leader of the party. He was the presidential candidate in the 2010 elections. In the 2010 election, Jarosław gathered 46.99% of the vote, losing to Civic Platform candidate Bronislaw Komorowski, who won with 53.01%.
In majority government: 2015–2023
thumb|A [[Committee for the Defence of Democracy demonstration in Warsaw against the ruling Law and Justice party, on 7 May 2016]]
The party won the 2015 parliamentary election, this time with an outright majority—something no Polish party had done since the fall of communism. In the normal course of events, this should have made Jarosław Kaczyński prime minister for a second time. However, Beata Szydło, perceived as being somewhat more moderate than Kaczyński, had been tapped as PiS's candidate for prime minister.
The party supported controversial reforms carried out by the Hungarian Fidesz party, with Jarosław Kaczyński declaring in 2011 that "a day will come when we have a Budapest in Warsaw". PiS's 2015 victory prompted creation of a cross-party opposition movement, the Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD). Law and Justice has Proposed 2017 judicial reforms, which according to the party were meant to improve efficiency of the justice system, sparked protest as they were seen as undermining judicial independence. While these reforms were initially unexpectedly vetoed by President Duda, he later signed them into law. In 2017, the European Union began an Article 7 infringement procedure against Poland due to a "clear risk of a serious breach" in the rule of law and fundamental values of the European Union.
The party has caused what constitutional law scholar Wojciech Sadurski termed a "constitutional breakdown" by packing the Constitutional Court with its supporters, undermining parliamentary procedure, and reducing the president's and prime minister's offices in favour of power being wielded extra-constitutionally by party leader Jarosław Kaczyński. After eliminating constitutional checks, the government then moved to curtail the activities of NGOs and independent media, restrict freedom of speech and assembly, and reduce the qualifications required for civil service jobs in order to fill these positions with party loyalists. The media law was changed to give the governing party control of the state media, which was turned into a partisan outlet, with dissenting journalists fired from their jobs. Due to these political changes, Poland has been termed an "illiberal democracy", "plebiscitarian authoritarianism", or "velvet dictatorship with a façade of democracy".
The party won reelection in the 2019 parliamentary election. With 44% of the popular vote, Law and Justice received the highest vote share by any party since Poland returned to democracy in 1989, but lost its majority in the Senate.
In opposition: 2023–present
The United Right alliance placed first for the third straight election and won a plurality of seats but fell short of a Sejm majority. The opposition, consisting of the Civic Coalition, Third Way, and The Left, achieved a combined total vote of 54%, managing to form a majority coalition government. Although PiS would be unable to govern on its own, the Polish president Andrzej Duda stated his intention to re-appoint the incumbent Mateusz Morawiecki as prime minister due to the existing albeit unofficial convention of nominating a member of the winning party. The four opposition parties criticized Duda's decision as a delay tactic. The opposition parties subsequently signed a coalition agreement on 10 November, de facto taking over control of the Sejm, and agreed to nominate former prime minister and European Council President Donald Tusk as their candidate. Morawiecki's new cabinet, dubbed "two-week government" and "zombie government" by the media due to its anticipated short-livedness, was sworn in on 27 November 2023. As expected, the Morawiecki's government was defeated in the Sejm on 11 December 2023, effectively ending its tenure.
The party's endorsed candidate, Karol Nawrocki, won the 2025 Polish presidential election in an upset victory.
On 7 March 2026, Przemysław Czarnek was named as the party's candidate for the office of Prime Minister for the Next Polish parliamentary election.
2024 party subsidy issue
On 14 March 2024, the President appointed a new composition of the National Electoral Commission (PKW), selected by the Sejm in December 2023. While remained the chairman of the PKW, a position he held since 11 February 2020 and as his deputy, seven other members were recommended by different parties in parliament: KO recommended and , PiS recommended and , PSL recommended , PL2050 recommended , and Lewica recommended Ryszard Kalisz.
On 29 August, the PKW ruled 5:3 to penalize PiS by refusing to return 10.8 million PLN for 36 million designated to it via party subsidy, alleging the party misused 3.6 million PLN of their provided campaign funds in the 2023 parliamentary election. Despite PiS appealing the decision to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court issued no verdict within the 60-day deadline. The party appealed to its members and supporters for financial aid in donations. The PKW tied in a vote on 23 September regarding whether the committee recognizes the Supreme Court as valid considering the ongoing constitutional crisis. Further penalizations by the PKW on 18 November occurred thereafter, with the Commission ruling 5:4 to deprive PiS of its entire 75 million PLN subsidy for the three next years. PiS likewise appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, which the Supreme Court ruled invalid on 11 December, obligating the PKW to return PiS its subsidy. The Commission voted 5:4 to adjourn the meeting on 16 December without recognizing the Supreme Court or its ruling. On 30 December, a re-vote was held on the matter of whether it recognizes the Supreme Court, ruling 4:3 in favor of recognizing its verdict on this matter, and accepting the Supreme Court's decision to return the funds to PiS. Subsequently, the matter was relayed to the Ministry of Finance, in charge of granting subsidies.
In reaction to the ruling, several politicians commented. Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on X that he does not recognize the PKW positively ruling on granting PiS its subsidy. Marshal of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia stated the need for a compromise that lets Poles decide on a President without the validity of the president-elect's mandate being disputed by different parties. On 8 January 2025 Minister of Finance Andrzej Domański refused to recognize the PKW's ruling affirming PiS is to be granted its subsidy, stating the verdict was written in a "self-contradictory" way. Sylwester Marciniak, the PKW chairman, responded by stating the verdict was written clearly and demanding the Ministry grant PiS its allotted funds. Prime Minister Tusk expressed doubt over the legal validity of the PKW verdict, defending his Minister. A poll suggests 47.1% of Poles (98% of PiS voters, 71% of TD voters, 53% of Lewica voters) support PiS receiving the funds, and 46.9% (85% of PO voters, 80% of Konfederacja voters) are against.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2"; rowspan="2" | Party
! rowspan="2" | PKW member
! colspan="6" | Ruling
|-
! 29 August
! 23 September
! 18 November
! 16 December
! 30 December
|-
| style="background-color:#DCDCDC;" |
| Independent
| Sylwester Marciniak
| style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | Abstained
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="9" | Unknown
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
|-
| style="background-color:#DCDCDC;" |
| Independent
| Wojciech Sych
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="8" | Unknown
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
|-
| style="background-color:#F68F2D;" |
| KO
| Konrad Składkowski
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | Abstained
|-
| style="background-color:#F68F2D;" |
| KO
| Ryszard Balicki
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | Abstained
|-
| style="background-color:#263778;" |
| PiS
| Mirosław Suski
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
|-
| style="background-color:#263778;" |
| PiS
| Arkadiusz Pikulik
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
|-
| style="background-color:#1BB100;" |
| PSL
| Maciej Kliś
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
|-
| style="background-color:#FAC300;" |
| PL2050
| Paweł Gieras
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
|-
| style="background-color:#AC145A;" |
| Left
| Ryszard Kalisz
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#C5E29A" | For
| style="text-align:center; background:#FF9E9E" | Against
|-
! colspan="3" | Total
| style="text-align:center;" | 5:3 Kamiński claimed that the Law and Justice party had been taken over by far-right extremists. The breakaway party formed following dissatisfaction with the direction and leadership of Kaczyński.
On 4 November 2011, MEPs Zbigniew Ziobro, Jacek Kurski, and Tadeusz Cymański were ejected from the party, after Ziobro urged the party to split further into two separate parties – centrist and nationalist – with the three representing the nationalist faction. Ziobro's supporters, most of whom were on the right wing of the party, formed a new group in Parliament called Solidary Poland, leading to their expulsion, too. United Poland was formed as a formally separate party in March 2012, but has not threatened Law and Justice in opinion polls.
United Poland which would later become Sovereign Poland merged with Law and Justice on 12 October 2024 during PiS congress in Przysucha.
Base of support
thumb|left|upright=0.9|Law and Justice's main support (dark blue). PiS has seen decreased support in the [[2023 Polish parliamentary election.]]
thumb|right|upright=0.9|Law and Justice's main support (dark blue) is concentrated in the south-east of the country (former [[Russian Partition and Austrian Partition). Results of the 2015 Polish parliamentary election.]]
thumb|right|upright=0.9|Law and Justice's main support (dark blue). PiS has seen increased support in the [[2019 Polish parliamentary election.]]
Like Civic Platform, but unlike the fringe parties to the right, Law and Justice originated from the anti-communist Solidarity trade union (which is a major cleavage in Polish politics), which was not a theocratic organisation. Solidarity's leadership wanted to back Law and Justice in 2005, but was held back by the union's last experience of party politics, in backing Solidarity Electoral Action. Since 2015, the borders of support are not as clear as before and party enjoys support in western parts of country, especially these deprived ones. Large cities in all regions are more likely to vote for a more liberal party like PO or .N. Still, PiS receives good support from poor and working class areas in large cities.
Based on this voter profile, Law and Justice forms the core of the conservative post-Solidarity bloc, along with the League of Polish Families and Solidarity Electoral Action, as opposed to liberal conservative post-Solidarity bloc of Civic Platform. The most prominent feature of PiS voters was their emphasis on decommunisation.
distinguishes three main voters groups that form the base of Law and Justice's support. The first group are conservative Catholics, which support efforts to empower the Church and embrace anti-progressive, conservative social norms. The second group are secular intellectuals which are committed to "Polishness" and an enhanced international position of Poland; they support PiS to push back against the influence of the European Union, which they regard as a tool for Western domination. The third group are the working-class and poor voters that support PiS because of its economic policies which address the economic insecurity and wealth inequality of Poland. The workers that are particularly supportive of PiS are industrial workers and unionized labor, "where classic labor traditions are strongest." These workers also tend to be culturally conservative, which further aligns them with PiS.
The trade union Solidarity has emerged as a staunch ally of Law and Justice in 2015, when the party's presidential candidate Andrzej Duda signed a pledge to implement the economic reforms proposed by Solidarity. Ost wrote: "In its first two years in power, as already noted, PiS essentially delivered on each of the promises.The reduction of the retirement age, the increases in the minimum and hourly wage, the fight against “junk contracts,” the commitment to do battle with the EU in order to subsidize national industrial champions, the greater respect accorded to unions: All of this has made full-time manufacturing employees PiS's most loyal working-class constituency."]]
The party is commonly placed on the right wing of the political spectrum. Many observers have also classified it as a far-right party, while others placed it on the centre-right of the political spectrum. The party's economic ideology has been described as left-wing,