Nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly won the Polish presidential election against Warsaw’s liberal mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski, delivering a significant blow to the pro-European government, according to official results released on Monday.
The National Electoral Commission announced that Nawrocki secured 50.89% of the vote, while Trzaskowski garnered 49.11% in Sunday’s run-off election, highlighting the polarisation within this NATO and EU member.
Outgoing conservative president Andrzej Duda quickly congratulated the winner, expressing his congratulations on X and thanking Poles for the high voter turnout, which stood at 71.63%.
Analysts suggest that Karol Nawrocki’s victory may hinder the government’s progressive agenda, particularly concerning abortion and LGBT+ rights, and could heighten tensions with the European Union over rule of law issues.
Nawrocki’s win also threatens Poland’s close ties with Ukraine, as he is critical of Ukraine’s ambitions to join the EU and NATO and seeks to reduce benefits for Ukrainian refugees.
Poland, with a population of 38 million, plays a pivotal role in international diplomacy concerning Ukraine, as much of the Western military aid to Kyiv transits through its territory.
In Poland, the president holds significant influence over foreign and defence policy and possesses a legislative veto power that can only be overridden by a three-fifths majority in Parliament, a majority the current government lacks.
Planned reforms by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the former European Council president who took office in 2023, have been stalled due to the deadlock with the current nationalist president, Andrzej Duda.
Many supporters of Nawrocki advocate for stricter immigration controls and increased sovereignty within the European Union.
An admirer of Donald Trump, Karol Nawrocki claims to have received support from the US president.
Analysts believe Nawrocki’s victory will bolster the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, and could lead to new legislative elections.
