Popcorn and politics: Poles head to cinema to see PiS rule end

By Kuba Stezycki

WARSAW (Reuters) - Hundreds of Poles headed to a cinema in central Warsaw on Monday to watch a parliament session that is expected to usher in a new pro-European Union government led by Donald Tusk, illustrating the huge interest the transfer of power has generated.

With popcorn and fizzy drinks in hand, the audience gasped and applauded as a debate took place in the chamber following a speech by incumbent Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, in power since 2015.

"For me it was a stupid joke to watch the change of power in the cinema... (but) it was picked up on by a Warsaw cinema for which I am very grateful," said Michal Marszal, an Instagrammer who came up with the idea for the screening. "I have to pinch myself because I still can't believe it happened."

Poland's Oct. 15 election marked the end of eight years of rule by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which critics say undermined judicial independence, turned state-owned media into a propaganda outlet and fomented prejudice against minorities such as immigrants and the LGBT community.

While the party, which says it protected Poland's sovereignty and raised living standards for millions, came first in the election, it lacked a majority.

This coupled with the fact that all other parties had ruled out working with PiS made Morawiecki's chances of winning a confidence vote scheduled for 1400 GMT on Monday almost non-existent.

The election saw a record turnout, with especially high mobilisation among young people.

"After it turned out that many young people went to vote... (parliament) became perhaps not so much fashionable, but important and interesting for many people," said Dominik Kazus, 30, an artist who travelled from Konin in central Poland for the screening.

Subscriptions to the parliament's YouTube channel have rocketed since the election and stood at around 480,000 at 1329 GMT.

"I watch all the sittings of the new term and I came to the cinema because this is something unprecedented on a global scale," said Piotr Kurowski, a 28-year-old, video producer from Warsaw.

(Reporting by Kuba Stezycki, Writing by Alan Charlish, Editing by Nick Macfie)