Centre-right parties rooted in the pro-democracy Solidarity movement have defeated the left-wing government in the Polish general election.
Exit polls issued after voting stations closed gave the conservative Law and Justice party, led by twins Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 28% of the vote. The Civic Platform - their pro-business allies - received 26%.
The centre-right parties have vowed to rule together although they are divided over how far to go in embracing the free market.
The two parties also promised to weed out corruption that marred the four-year rule of the Democratic Left Alliance and curb unemployment, now at an EU high of 18%.
The left suffered their worst result since the 1989 collapse of communism, with just 10% of the vote, according to the polls.
No Polish government in the past 16 years has managed to win re-election because each time voters have switched between left and right, hoping for less painful reforms on the road from communism to a market economy.
The reforms helped bring Poland into the EU last year but also created a deep divide in the nation between those who benefited and those who lost out - mostly the less educated and those living in rural areas.
