As much as 57 percent Polish investors vote so as not to harm their investments

Half a year after the parliamentary elections, Poles are going to vote again - this time, in... local government elections. Since the parliamentary elections, WIG and WIG20 have increased by approximately 30%. It is therefore not surprising that 57 percent Polish individual investors take their investments into account when deciding who to vote for. Among Polish investors, people with centrist views predominate - 57 percent declare them. respondents.

Elections this Sunday

The first round of local government elections will take place next Sunday (April 7). We will elect councils of local government units: communes, counties and voivodeships, as well as directly city presidents, mayors and commune heads. According to conducted by eToro Puls Inwestora Indywidualny research, 57 percent Polish individual investors take their investments into account when deciding who to vote for. For 19 percent investors, choices remain strongly related to their investments, and for the remaining 38 percent this relationship exists, but is smaller. For 40 percent respondents, investment choices do not influence their political choices.

We also asked respondents about their political views. Most of them have centrist views - 57 percent declare them. investors (29% center-right views, 28% center-left views). Right-wing views are declared by 19 percent. investors (including the center-right, 48%), and left-wing - 14%. (together with the center-left 42%). The predominance of right-wing views over left-wing views is due to the larger number of men (men constitute 58% of investors - women 42%), who more often declare right-wing views. Leftist views predominate among women investors. In general, however, it can be said that Polish investors represent the full spectrum of political views.

This time the elections matter less

This time, the local elections take place half a year after the parliamentary elections. This means that the impact of these elections on national politics will be smaller than if these elections were held first. The recent elections to the Sejm showed that political choices can have a very significant impact on the economic situation and the results of listed companies. Over the last 6 months (parliamentary elections took place on October 16), the WIG and WIG20 indices increased by approximately 30%. At the same time, the Polish zloty strengthened by approximately 7%.

The upcoming local elections have a smaller impact on investors' portfolios than the parliamentary elections, but this impact does exist. First of all, local governments set fees for municipal services, which burden the household budgets of all residents. The most severe fee charged by municipalities is the garbage collection fee. Its amount may vary significantly in individual communes, and in many cases its amount for a family may exceed PLN 100 per month. Similarly, local governments - thanks to their own municipal companies - influence water prices and the costs of heating apartments in their area. Cities also set public transport prices, which may also affect residents' home finances. It can therefore be concluded that in a typical Polish city, local governments burden the budget of an average person with an amount of several hundred zlotys. Therefore, more effective management of citizens' money can bring less burden, and the resources they save can be used for their own investments.

We cannot forget that some of the local elections have significance for politics at the national level and, therefore, a potential impact on our wallets in the future. The elections of the mayor of Warsaw, which are perceived as a prelude to the presidential elections, may have such significance. If the candidate of the current government coalition becomes president in 2025, it will significantly expand its possibilities in creating policies, including those regarding the economy and citizens' finances.

About the author

Pawel Majtkowski - analyst eToro on the Polish market, which shares its weekly commentary on the latest stock market information. Paweł is a recognized expert on financial markets with extensive experience as an analyst in financial institutions. He is also one of the most cited experts in the field of economy and financial markets in Poland. He graduated from law studies at the University of Warsaw. He is also the author of many publications in the field of investing, personal finance and economy.