According to a poll, Warsaw’s Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski is slightly ahead of his conservative opponent after the polls closed.
Poland’s presidential election is heading to a second round, with exit polls indicating Rafal Trzaskowski holding a slim lead over Karol Nawrocki after Sunday’s initial vote.
The combined vote share of right-wing candidates exceeded 50% in the first round, suggesting a possible change in the country’s political climate.
According to an Ipsos exit poll, Trzaskowski, the Warsaw Mayor representing the pro-European Civic Coalition, received 31.1% of the vote.
Nawrocki, a conservative historian supported by the Law and Justice (PiS) party, secured 29.7% of the vote.
Slawomir Mentzen and Grzegorz Braun, also right-wing candidates, obtained 15.4% and 6.2% of the vote respectively, bringing the total right-leaning vote to approximately 51.3%.
Mentzen, who leads the right-wing New Hope party, is a vocal critic of the EU, opposes immigration, and advocates for lower taxes and less government regulation. His platform focuses on national independence and traditional social values.
The runoff election is scheduled for June 1, and the new president will assume office in August.
Trzaskowski, who narrowly lost to current President Andrzej Duda in the previous election five years ago, has promised to support government reforms, including undoing judicial changes implemented during the PiS era. He has also expressed support for increased defense spending and continued aid to Ukraine.
He is considered the most pro-Ukraine candidate, although he has pledged to reduce social welfare benefits for Ukrainian citizens. His main competitor, Nawrocki, also supports providing military assistance to Ukraine, but opposes Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the EU until it resolves historical issues, particularly the exhumation and recognition of Polish victims of the Volyn massacres during World War II. He has also emphasized the importance of prioritizing Polish citizens in public services.
His campaign gained momentum after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, who reportedly told him, “You will win.” Right-wing sentiment is on the rise across the EU, as demonstrated by recent electoral successes and evolving political dynamics in several member nations.
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