Poland's nationist government set to win second term

Voting stations opened across Poland on Sunday morning (October 13), in an election expected to hand a second term to the nationalist Law and Justice party, or PiS.

This will potentially deepen the country's isolation, as unease within the EU about its commitment to democratic standards grows.

But within Poland, PiS appears to have grown in popularity.

Surveys suggest the party could win 40-46% of the vote, more than it got in 2015.

That's after an economic boom allowed PiS to implement a vast welfare program, garnering further support from poorer Poles who missed out on post-Communist prosperity.

(SOUNDBITE) (Polish) 68-YEAR-OLD PENSIONER FROM WARSAW, RAJMUND WASIARZ, SAYING:

"There is no comparison to the previous years. It has been the best time for Poland now, the best in 30 years."

If PiS does not win enough votes for an absolute majority then it may need to form a coalition.

That raises the possibility of the far-right Confederation party becoming part of government, if it wins the 5% of votes needed to enter parliament.

During campaigning, PiS called LGBT rights an invasive foreign influence that threatens Poland's national identity.

The party has drawn on the deeply-rooted popularity of the Catholic Church, casting the election as a choice between traditional values, and a liberal order that benefits a select few and undermines family life.

Opposition parties and Poland's EU partners say the outgoing government has undermined the independence of the judiciary and the media, and made Poland less welcoming for sexual and ethnic minorities.