Polish voters did last month what all signs indicate Americans did last year and will again next November: dump its existing government. Yes, indeed, the Poles went to the polls and voted the Kaczynski’s right-wing party, interestingly titled Law and Justice (PiS) in English. The Law in that name apparently referred to the divisive laws that the "Ducks," as the Kaczynskis are not so lovingly called, foisted upon the Polish nation, while Justice referred to delayed punishment for those who made the mistake of having various levels of connection with the communists about twenty or more years ago. The latter term sounds reasonable at first hearing, but it potentially affected hundreds of thousands in a state that requires stability if it is to continue advancement.

Having made an admittedly unscientific survey of Polish immigrants in the United States, it seems quite clear that the more mature voters among them chose the Kaczynskis in rather large numbers. That was clearly at odds with the younger electorate in Poland itself, which was vocally anxious to send at least one of the Kaczynskis, Jaroslaw, the Prime Minister, to an early retirement. They’re stuck with the twin ruler, President Lech Kaczynski, until 2010, when his term expires. They face a similar aggravating situation as do voters in this country regarding the less-than-popular President George W. Bush.

Those older voters in foreign lands who supported the Kaczynskis and PiS, saw the bright side, such as impressive economic growth and belated retaliation against those who, in many cases, forced their own exodus from the land of their birth. They did not observe, or did not wish to see, the failure of the PiS to promote privatization, the denial of the right to pursue individual happiness, the xenophobic attitude that unnecessarily made enemies of Poland’s most potentially troublesome neighbors, the constant separation of Poland from the rest of the European Union, an endless number of scandals and the pointless meddling with the educational system.

Never mind that the coalition partner of the PiS, the League of Polish Families (LPR), virtually wanted to transform Poland from a constitutional democracy into a theocracy, ala the Muslim states, but with a decidedly Catholic foundation. That group, not unfairly branded by some as extremists, caused such a rift in the government that elections became necessary to avoid continuing political chaos.

Businessmen, women and minorities expect a fair shake from the Civic Platform (PO) party, which won enough seats in parliament to run the government with only minor help from a smaller party, also basically centrist. Its leader, Donald Tusk, is not perfect, as most leaders also are not, but he sounds very much like the American middle-of-the-roader, supporting expansion of private business, respecting the rights of all citizens, mending relations with other countries and acting responsibly in the European Union.

Poland deserves better than political bickering and turmoil. Hopefully, the new government will honor Polish expectations.