Poland sets Oct 21 as the date for key local elections

WARSAW, Poland – The Polish government says a first round of voting in local elections this fall will take place on Oct. 21, with a runoff Nov. 4.

The elections for local assemblies and mayors will be the first major test at the ballot box for the conservative-nationalist Law and Justice party since it swept to power in 2015. The party’s victory was part of a global rejection of old political elites and an embrace of nationalist and populist movements.

The party has been in conflict with the European Union over a shakeup of Poland’s judicial system.

Critics say Law and Justice has destroyed the independence of Poland’s judiciary. However it remains Poland’s most popular party, partly thanks to increased social spending, and argues it has an electoral mandate to reform an inefficient court system.