Trzaskowski or Nawrocki: Who will lead Poland’s next chapter? Battle for Presidency Heats Up

Poland’s second round of presidential elections kicked off at 7:00 am local time on June 1, with nearly 29 million eligible voters expected to determine the country’s political direction for the coming years.

The runoff follows the May 18 first round, where none of the 13 candidates managed to secure an outright majority, Caliber.Az reports, citing Western media.

Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski of the Civic Platform party led the first round with 31.36% of the vote, closely followed by Karol Nawrocki, director of the Institute of National Remembrance and backed by the ruling Law and Justice party, who garnered 29.54%.

The candidate who wins the majority in today’s second round will become Poland’s next president.

In addition to voters within Poland, over 700,000 Polish citizens living abroad are eligible to participate in this critical vote.

Recent polls indicate a tight race between Trzaskowski and Nawrocki, with both candidates enjoying nearly equal support. Voter turnout is anticipated to be the highest since Poland’s first free elections in 1989, underscoring the election’s significance for the country’s future.

Rafał Trzaskowski, a seasoned politician and former Member of the European Parliament, has served as Warsaw’s mayor since 2018. Known for his pro-European Union stance and support for liberal democratic values, Trzaskowski represents the centrist Civic Platform, which seeks to counterbalance the conservative policies of the current government.

Karol Nawrocki, a historian and former military officer, took over as director of the Institute of National Remembrance in 2021. He is closely aligned with the Law and Justice party and is viewed as a candidate who will continue the party’s nationalist and conservative agenda, focusing on Poland’s historical legacy and national identity.

By Khagan Isayev