Poland registers record 17 presidential candidates ahead of May election

Seventeen candidates have submitted applications to run in Poland’s upcoming presidential election, marking the highest number of contenders for the office since 1995.

Until now, the most crowded presidential race in Poland took place during the first round of the 1995 election, which featured 13 registered candidates, Caliber.Az reports via Polish media.

The current race surpasses that record, indicating heightened political activity ahead of the vote scheduled for May 18. A potential runoff is set for June 1, if no candidate secures a majority in the first round.

The first candidate to be officially registered by Poland’s National Electoral Commission (PKW) was Sławomir Mentzen, the nominee from the far-right Confederation party. Mentzen submitted 250,000 signatures to support his candidacy.

Also officially registered is Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, representing the Civic Coalition. His campaign gathered over one million supporting signatures, underscoring his strong position in the race.

Another major contender is Karol Nawrocki, President of the Institute of National Remembrance, who is backed by the ruling Law and Justice party. He submitted more than 1.3 million signatures — the highest number collected among the leading candidates.

Speaker of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia also entered the race, submitting 400,000 signatures in support of his candidacy.

The remaining 13 candidates, while officially in the race, currently poll far below the frontrunners and are considered long shots for the presidency.

As of now, the National Electoral Commission has approved 11 of the 17 candidates. The commission continues to review the validity and quantity of the signatures submitted by each candidate to ensure they meet the required threshold for registration.

Recent polling data shows Rafał Trzaskowski leading among all candidates, consolidating his position as a top contender. In contrast, Sławomir Mentzen appears to be losing voter support as the campaign progresses.

By Tamilla Hasanova