Michal Jeger (1942-) was President of Poland from 2015 to 2019, preceding Mikolaj Jaworski. During Jeger's presidency, the Sejm maintained most taxes while expanding social programs and presiding over a vibrant and booming economy, but Jeger's Law and Justice party declined as the Democratic Left Alliance and Polish People's Party became major third parties and sapped power from the ruling PiS and its Civic Platform rivals. Nonetheless, Jeger continued to win re-election by large margins.
Biography[]
Michal Jeger was born in Przemysl, Poland in 1942, and he worked as an economist and as a business professor before entering politics with the conservative Law and Justice party during the 2000s. In 2015, he became his party's leader and led it to an electoral victory, with PiS winning 30.08% of the vote and 11 seats, followed by Civic Platform with 25% and 9 seats, the Polish People's Party with 19.37% and 7 seats, the Democratic Left Alliance with 12.11% and 4 seats, Kukiz'15 with 8.12% and 3 seats, and Nowoczesna with 5.31% and 2 seats. He went on to win the presidential election with 54% of the vote, defeating Civic Platform leader Wojchiech Ostrowski' 46%.
Under Jeger, the Sejm voted 32-3 to approve retirement homes, 27-5 to approve public housing, and 34-1 to approve agriculture research. In the elections of late 2015, Law and Justice was reduced to 29.5% and 11 seats, Civic Platform was reduced to 24.94% and 9 seats, the Polish People's Party rose to 19.51% and 7 seats, the Democratic Left Alliance rose to 15.49% and 6 seats, Kukiz'15 dropped to 6.12% and 3 seats, and Nowoczesna was eliminated from the Sejm with just 4.45% of the vote. However, Jeger himself won re-election with 55.9% of the vote, again defeating Ostrowski (who won 44.1%). The Sejm went on to vote 18-11 in favor of a land tax and 21-7 in favor of a housing tax. In the ensuing gneeral election, Law and Justice was reduced to 28.59% and 10 seats, Civic Platform rose to 25.66% and 9 seats, the PSL dropped to 18.93% and 7 seats, the SLD dropped to 15% and 5 seats, Kukiz'15 rose to 6.67% and 3 seats, and Nowoczesna returned with 5.17% and 2 seats. Jeger went on to win a third term in office with 53.8% of the vote. The Sejm voted 30-1 to approve a bus transport service and 16-13 to approve a stamp duty before new elections were held in late 2016. This time, Law and Justice and Civic Platform were tied with 9 seats, with Civic Platform winning a higher share of the vote by 1%. They were followed by the PSL with 7 seats, the SLD with 6 seats, Kukiz'15 with 3 seats, and Nowoczesna with 2 seats. Despite the huge electoral setback, Jeger was re-elected with 58.8% of the vote, his largest margin of victory yet. The Sejm maintained existing taxes while voting 17-11 to enact a road maintenance program. In the election of early 2017, Civic Platform rose to 26.01% and 10 seats, Law and Justice dropped to 24.01% and 9 seats, the PSL rose to 19.21% and 7 seats, the SLD rose to 16.66% and 6 seats, Kukiz'15 rose to 9.13% and 4 seats, and Nowoczesna was eliminated with 4.98%. In the ensuing presidential election, Jeger was re-elected with 52.8% of the vote.
The ensuing term saw no meaningful legislation be passed, and the SLD grew in popularity. In the mid-2017 elections, Civic Platform dropped to 25.27% and 9 seats, Law and Justice dropped to 22.75% and 9 seats, PSL dropped to 18.61% and 7 seats, SLD rose to 19.82% and 7 seats, Kukiz'15 dropped to 8.73% and 4 seats, and Nowoczesna was again eliminated with 4.82%. The ensuing presidential election saw Jeger win another term in a narrow 50.6%-49.4% victory over Ostrowski. The Sejm voted 20-11 to ban guns, with only PiS and Kukiz'15 opposing. The Sejm then voted 22-12 to abolish the land tax, with the right-wing and center supporting it and the SLD and PSL opposing it. The ensuing parliamentary election of early 2018 saw Civic Platform drop to 24.99% and 9 seats, PiS drop to 20.37% and 8 seats, the SLD rise to 20.37% and 8 seats, the PSL drop to 18.54% and 7 seats, Kukiz'15 rise to 11.01% and 4 seats, and Nowoczesna again not qualify with just 4.71%. Jeger won re-election with 56.3% of the vote. The Sejm voted 16-9 to approve a pollution tax, 26-4 to approve national parks, and 29-3 to approve an air pollution monitor. The ensuing election saw Civic Platform drop to 22.97% and 8 seats, PiS fell to 17.69% and 6 seats, the SLD dropped to 20.04% and 7 seats, the PSL rose to 21.67% and 8 seats, Kukiz'15 rose to 12.56% and 5 seats, and Nowoczesna rose to 5.07% and 2 seats. For the first time, PiS was reduced to being the fourth-largest party in the country, and Jeger only remained in power after the presidential election failed to produce a winner, with Ostrowski and Maja Marzec both winning 50%. The Sejm voted 25-3 to abolish the 8% electoral threshold, and 11-10 to implement a land tax.
The elections of December 2018 saw Civic Platform drop to 22.24% and 8 seats, the PSL drop to 29.59% and 7 seats, the SLD rise to 21.62% and 8 seats, PiS rise to 18.39% and 7 seats, Kukiz'15 drop to 11.17% and 4 seats, and Nowoczesna rise to 6% and 2 seats. Jeger again remained President after Ostrowski tied with the SLD presidential nominee Mikolaj Jaworski 50%-50% in January 2019's presidential election. The Sejm voted 28-3 to protect plant varieties and 17-11 to approve a stamp duty. In mid-2019, Civic Platform dropped to 21.62% and 8 seats, the SLD rose to 24.83% and 9 seats, the PSL dropped to 18.99% and 7 seats, the PiS dropped to 17.93% and 6 seats, Kukiz'15 dropped to 10.94% and 4 seats, and Nowoczesna dropped to 5.69% and 2 seats. The ensuing presidential election saw SLD candidate Jaworski win with a narrow 50.5%-49.5% victory over Ostrowski.