Poland's ruling pro-EU wing passes local election test

Warsaw: Poland s governing pro European coalition parties came out top in local elections Sunday seen as a first test since the group s landmark win i...

Warsaw: Poland's governing pro-European coalition parties came out top in local elections Sunday seen as a first test since the group's landmark win in a general election last year, exit polls said.

The right-wing Law and Justice (PiS), which governed for years before losing power to the pro-EU alliance of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, won the most votes for a single party at 33.7 percent, according to the IPSOS institute.

Tusk's centrist Civic Coalition (KO) won 31.9 percent, while its allies, the Christian-Democratic Third Way movement and the Left, scored 13.5 percent and 6.8 percent respectively.

The far-right Confederation party -- the only potential ally for the PiS -- won 7.5 percent.

Tusk celebrated another victory for the pro-EU alliance after the October 15 general election tjat returned him to power. "October 15 came again in April," he said.