Referendums in Poland

There have been several referendums in the history of Poland.

Second Polish Republic (1918-1939)

There were no country-wide referendums, as this was neither mentioned in the March Constitution nor as a procedure. But there were two local referendums on border issues between Poland and Weimar Republic:

• 11 July 1920 – Referendum on Warmia, Mazury and Powiśle
• 20 March 1921 – Referendum on Upper Silesia

Polish People's Republic (1946-1989)

There were two referendums in the People's Republic of Poland:

• 30 June 1946 – People's referendum (also known as the 3xTAK, 3 times YES referendum)
• 29 November 1987 – Referendum on political and economic reforms

Third Polish Republic (1989-)

There have been six referendums in post-Communist Poland with only two binding:

• 18 February 1996:
• Referendum on enfranchisement of citizens
• Referendum with four questions on privatised assets
• 25 May 1997 – Constitutional referendum
• 7–8 June 2003 – Referendum on joining the EU
• 6 September 2015 – Referendum with three questions regarding Sejm representation, political party funding, and tax law dispute resolution: introducing single-member constituencies for Sejm elections, maintaining state financing of political parties, and introducing a presumption in favor of the taxpayer in disputes over tax law.

• 15 October 2023 – A referendum alongside nationwide elections to the Senate and Sejm. Four questions have been announced by members of the government from 11–14 August. Voters were asked whether they approve of privatisation of state-owned enterprises, increase in the retirement age, admission of immigrants under the EU relocation mechanism and removal of the barrier on Poland’s border with Belarus. The referendum was answered by around 40% of eligible Polish voters, making it not binding.

A referendum on the proposed EU Constitution was planned in 2005, but was abandoned after the rejection of the Constitution by French voters.

Turnout

Notes

References