Right-wing Nawrocki wins Polish presidential election
Conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki was elected president of Poland in a runoff vote on Sunday, narrowly defeating centrist pro-EU Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.
According to the National Electoral Commission, Nawrocki secured 50.89% of the vote, while Trzaskowski garnered 49.11%.
Turnout was 71.63%, among the highest in recent Polish elections. Trzaskowski performed strongly in major cities, while Nawrocki led in rural areas and among older voters.
Nawrocki, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, ran on a platform of Catholic values, greater national sovereignty, and rebalancing Poland’s relationship with the EU. He leads the Institute of National Remembrance, a state-sponsored research center responsible for promoting Polish history and investigating crimes committed in Poland during both the Nazi occupation and the socialist era.
Nawrocki met with US President Donald Trump at the White House last month.
“President Trump said, ‘You will win,’” he later told Polish media, according to Reuters.
Trzaskowski is a senior figure in Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition. He campaigned on strengthening ties with the EU, advancing judicial reforms, easing abortion restrictions, and introducing civil partnerships for LGBTQ couples.
Both candidates pledged to increase defense spending, responding to calls from Trump for Europe to contribute more to NATO. They also support continued aid to Ukraine. However, Trzaskowski backs NATO membership for Ukraine, calling it vital to Poland’s security. Nawrocki has said he would not ratify it, warning it could drag the bloc into a war with Russia.
“Poland needs a president who will defend the constitution and our values,” Nawrocki said during his final campaign appearance on Friday. Trzaskowski told supporters he envisions “a modern European Poland that protects freedoms and the rule of law.”
