Karol Nawrocki, the right-wing candidate in Poland’s presidential runoff election, won on Sunday night and will be the country’s next president.
Nawrocki defeated Rafał Trzaskowski by the slimmest of margins, winning 50.89% of the vote. Trzaskowski, the liberal candidate and mayor of Warsaw, received 49.11% of the vote, according to the Associated Press.
Initial voting for Poland’s president was held on May 18, with candidates vying to replace Andrzej Duda, who is term-limited. The election featured 13 presidential candidates, the most in Poland’s history, according to reports.
Trzaskowski, of the Civic Coalition, won the first round of voting, obtaining 31.36% of the vote. Nawrocki, a registered independent, finished second with 29.54%. However, because no candidate received over 50% of the vote in that round, both advanced to Sunday’s runoff election. Initial exit polls from the election had Trzaskowski leading, the Associated Press reported. Nawrocki jumped ahead in later polls and would hold on for the victory by the end of the day.
Poland’s constitution stipulates that presidents serve a five-year term and can only win reelection once. Nawrocki will replace Duda on Aug. 6, when the president’s second term ends. The election had over 70% voter turnout, according to reports.
Nawrocki was a historian and museum director before winning his country’s presidential election. He is the head of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, a research organization in Warsaw, and was also the director of Poland’s Museum of the Second World War. He does not have any political experience and ran as an independent candidate. Poland’s conservative Law and Justice political party supported Nawrocki.
As president, Nawrocki is widely expected to continue the policies of Duda, Reuters reported. This includes stymying efforts to “liberalize or reform the judiciary.”
THE LEGACY MEDIA WANT YOU TO THINK THAT TRUMP KILLED POPULISM IN EUROPE
Duda thanked his country for participating in the election and the strong turnout in a post on X.
“Thank you! For participating in the presidential elections. For the turnout. For fulfilling your civic duty. For taking responsibility for Poland. Congratulations to the winner! Stay strong Poland!” Duda wrote.
