There is an important caveat emerging to the headline here in Poland.

Yes, the Right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) has won a second term, claiming 43.6 percent of the vote. And, yes, that is to some extent likely to further cement a more general pattern of the rise of Right-wing populist movements across Europe. 

But, while PiS has narrowly won the Sejm, Poland's lower house – securing 235 seats, in the 460-seat legislature – its stranglehold on the Senate, the upper house, has gone, dealing a serious blow to the socially conservative party, which had aimed for a big enough majority to change the country's constitution. 

Control of the Senate would allow the various opposition groups to block or delay legislation proposed by PiS and would also give them a say on nominations to some of Poland's highest institutions such as the civil rights ombudsman.

Those different opposition groups do not speak with one voice, of course. But talk in Warsaw is already turning to at least some of them banding together to agree on a single presidential candidate ahead of a separate set of elections next year. That is feeding a sense that rivals may unite to try to stifle PiS's plans where they can. 

Moreover, sources from both PiS and the main opposition grouping, the centrist Civic Coalition, agreed that the result for the Sejm was a close call.

Continuing robust economic growth in Poland has given PiS plenty of space to fulfill its first-term promises of, for example, raising the minimum wage and generous welfare reforms. On the 2019 campaign trail, new pledges emerged including one to extend what's called the "500+". That is a program of paying subsidies to families who have more than one child, provided one parent is a man and the other a woman.

That plays well with Poland's powerful Catholic Church, which has shown some backing for the government's promotion of what it sees as traditional Polish values. As has PiS's strong opposition to giving more rights to Poland's LGBT community, a theme that played a prominent and controversial role during the party's election campaign.

However, Sunday's results highlighted increased political polarization in Poland under PiS rule, with the liberal opposition scoring sweeping victories in some large cities.

The past four years have been a period of radical change in Poland under PiS's leadership. And a sharp turn away from a quarter of a century of liberal transformation that preceded it. The opposition may not have won this election, but they will hope to use that Senate majority to prevent the government's second term being quite like the first.