Poland: Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins presidential vote – DW – 06/02/2025
06/02/2025
June 2, 2025 Nawrocki set for narrow win: reports
According to Polish media reports, the conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki has won the run-off election for president.
Major Polish media outlets such as the newspaper Rzeczpospolita and the news portal Onet.pl based this on the count of more than 99% of the votes by the Polish National Electoral Commission.
Nawrocki secured 50.89% of the vote, while Trzaskowski received 49.11%, they said.
The Electoral Commission said on its website that it had counted all of the votes and would officially announce the results later on Monday.
Poland's president mainly has a ceremonial role. However, the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, can veto government bills, has a right to a say in the country's foreign policy and can propose new legislation.
Donald Tusk's pro-EU coalition government attempts at reform have been blocked several times by current conservative incumbent president, Andrzej Duda.
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DW
3 hours ago
- DW
What next for EU-Poland ties after Nawrocki's election win? – DW – 06/03/2025
Newly elected Polish President Karol Nawrocki is known as an EU skeptic. How can he sway Poland's EU policy, and how is he viewed in Brussels? Right-wing conservative Karol Nawrocki has won the race for the Polish presidency. During the election campaign, Nawrocki touted his affinity with US President Donald Trump and pledged a "Poland first" approach. He opposes Ukraine's accession to NATO and is perceived as an EU skeptic. Polish voters elected Nawrocki with the slimmest of margins on Monday morning, prompting reactions across all of Europe. Many heads of state and government congratulated the future Polish president. Among those belonging to the right-wing political spectrum were Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The latter enthused about a "fantastic victory" and strengthening the work of the Visegrad Group, a political alliance consisting of Poland, Hungary, The Czech Republic and Slovakia. Other heads of state and government, including Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, emphasized common values. French President Emmanuel Macron called on Poland to champion a Europe that's "strong, independent, competitive" and "respects the rule of law." EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent congratulations as well. On X, she wrote: "I'm confident that the EU will continue its very good cooperation with Poland. We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values." Nawrocki ideologically close to PiS party Nawrocki is officially non-partisan, but entered the campaign for presidency as a candidate backed by the right-wing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party that ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023. During its term of office, the party reformed the Polish judicial system, sparking an ongoing dispute with Brussels over accusations of dismantling the rule of law. This eventually led to a so-called Article 7 procedure. The European Union's Article 7 allows for the suspension of member state rights if that state seriously and repeatedly violates the EU core values. Despite new government, Poland remains polarized To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The procedure was closed last year when the country announced it would implement the required changes. As a result, billions of euros were disbursed to Poland, funds that had previously been frozen by the EU due to concerns about the rule of law. Many Polish government proposals were vetoed by sitting President Andrzej Duda, who also has PiS leanings. Observers expect this obstructive stance to continue under the new president. The EU Commission declined to speculate on possible repercussions. In its daily press briefing, it emphasized its confidence in Poland's further implementation of reforms and its support for the country's efforts. Are new tensions with the EU over the rule of law imminent? Daniel Freund, a member of the European Parliament, fears that Poland's political deadlock will continue. He calls on the EU commission to correct its "mistake" — prematurely releasing frozen EU funds — and to continue putting pressure on Poland. Piotr Buras, Warsaw bureau head of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told DW that the EU Commission would have to take into consideration what actually happened in Poland. For example, the government under Donald Tusk had seen to it that illegal laws are no longer applied, thus removing the grounds for Article 7 proceedings. Buras believes that a renewed clash with the EU over the rule of law is out of the question with the Tusk government in power. Nawrocki is expected to obstruct the agenda of Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk (pictured above) Image: Frederic GARRIDO-RAMIREZ/European Union How will the ballot impact Poland's EU policy? 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EU Parliament torn between joy and skepticism Whereas Manfred Weber, chairman of the conservative European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, hoped that Nawrocki would work "constructively' with Poland's government for the country's benefit, MEP Rene Repasi believed that the Polish government was caught up in a "mess." For the social democrat, new parliamentary elections are not unlikely, because the right-wing conservative Nawrocki and the "Tusk government's progressive agenda" would get in each other's way. However, the right-wing conservative European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, which also includes Poland's PiS party, welcomed Nawrocki's election victory. Europe must remain a "community of free nations," not a "machine" that ignores "the will of the people," said the group's co-chairman, Nicola Procaccini. Political scientist Buras, however, believes that Nawrocki's election victory was not tantamount to voting against the EU. Neither PiS nor Nawrocki had ever called for Poland's exit from the bloc. At the same time, Buras added that skepticism regarding a loss of sovereignty and interference in the country's internal affairs was widespread in Poland, and Nawrocki had taken advantage of that prevailing mood. This article was originally written in German. Edited by: Jess Smee
DW
6 hours ago
- DW
Journalists in Serbia pessimistic about pledged media reform – DW – 06/03/2025
Both student protesters and the EU are calling on the Serbian government to ensure media freedom and the rule of law. Will the reforms pledged by Belgrade bring real change or are they just window-dressing for Brussels? For Zoran Strika, a journalist at the Novi Sad-based portal workdays have become almost unbearable. Protests have not let up since the collapse of the canopy at the entrance to Novi Sad railway station killed 16 people last November. The pressure in newsrooms across the country is mounting: There's more work, fewer resources and the threats to journalists are becoming increasingly blatant. After years of facing verbal abuse, Strika says that he was recently physically attacked for the first time while reporting. Physical assault He was filming supporters of the ruling SNS party gathering for a rally in Belgrade when he witnessed a violent assault on a passerby who had tried to take a photo. Student protesters call for more objective and responsible journalism, media freedom and the adherence to ethical standards during a demonstration outside the Belgrade offices of 'Informer,' a pro-government tabloid newspaper Image: SPASA DAKIC/SIPA/picture alliance "Three men knocked him to the ground, started beating him, took his phone and threw it into the Danube. Then one of them saw that I was filming and came after me, trying to grab my phone," Strika told DW. The situation briefly calmed down, and Strika attempted to help the injured man by lending him his phone. Then their attackers returned. "I explained that I was a journalist, told them to back off, and that the police had been called. They snatched my phone from the injured man's hand. I tried to get it back, but they threw it into the Danube," says Strika. Attacks on journalists increasing The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (IJAS) recorded 128 cases of attacks and the exertion of pressure on journalists in Serbia in the first five months of the year compared to 166 for all of 2024. "Physical attacks are on the rise, and what's concerning is that they happen even in the presence of the police. Journalists are portrayed as instigators simply for doing their job, and the police do not intervene," Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic, secretary-general of the IJAS, told DW. The biggest issue, she says, is the lack of accountability: Attacks rarely have legal consequences, which allows government-aligned media and public officials to continue targeting independent journalists. After months of student-led anti-graft protests, students blocked the entrances to RTS in Belgrade for two days, accusing the national broadcaster of ignoring their massive movement Image: Oliver Bunic/AFP/Getty Images The surveillance of journalists is also a growing concern. Amnesty International has reported that Serbian authorities have unlawfully monitored journalists' and activists' phones . One of those targeted is local journalist Slavisa Milanov from Dimitrovgrad, who said that spyware was installed on his phone while he was in police custody — without a warrant from the prosecutor. "Are we criminals that such software is used on us?" he said on the N1 television channel. "Whatever happens to me or to someone close to me, I will hold the state responsible." EU withholds millions in response to sluggish reform Local and international watchdogs monitoring media freedom in Serbia have for years been drawing attention to the threat to journalists' safety. Demands for free media have been at the heart of every major civil protest in Serbia over the past decade. The European Union has even included these demands in its requirements relating to Serbia's EU accession process. The country's new reform agenda — which outlines the reforms it must implement by 2027 — prioritizes changes to media laws and the appointment of members to the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), which among other things issues broadcasting licenses and supervises TV and radio stations' compliance with the law. From Novi Sad to Brussels: A 1,950-km run for justice To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video After Serbia failed to implement these reforms, the EU delayed the payment of €111 million ($126 million) in aid. The government reacted swiftly, launching a new procedure to select REM members and distributing draft media laws to working groups, which in some cases included experts and representatives of NGOs and unions. "Please send us your comments on all three draft laws within the next 48 hours, so we do not further delay the adoption process and slow down Serbia's European integration," read an e-mail seen by DW that was sent by the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications to working group members. Retaliation against independent media? The IJAS says that it does not feel it is delaying any reforms or slowing down the country's European integration in any way. In response to encouragement from the EU and other international organizations to engage in dialogue with Serbian authorities, the IJAS has done so, even though it feels that it has repeatedly been betrayed by the state. "We are exhausted because we keep working tirelessly, only to find that all our effort, expertise and engagement were in vain," says Filipovic Stevanovic. "Even when something ends up in the law, there's no guarantee it won't be abused or undermined by bylaws that completely alter its intent." That's exactly what happened with the media co-funding system, she explains. People without relevant experience or credibility were appointed to commissions that decide how public funds are allocated to the media. As a result, Novi Sad-based did not receive a single dinar from this funding system for the first time in 2025. Journalists hope that the past seven months of protests in Serbia will raise awareness of the importance of independent, objective journalism Image: Darko Vojinovic/AP Photo/picture alliance Zoran Strika says this is "state retaliation against media outlets that reported professionally on everything that occurred in Novi Sad and Serbia since November 1." According to DW's sources, the funds instead went to outlets with close ties to the ruling party — many of which routinely violate journalistic ethics. 'It will only get worse' "Reforms must be real — not just a checklist on paper," said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas during her recent visit to Serbia. But behind closed doors, says the IJAS, there are no assurances that the EU will make sure that Serbia will take a genuine reform path. Indeed, there is a widespread sense of pessimism in Serbia's media sector, with many expecting the situation to deteriorate further. "The media are a crucial tool of this government, and it's very clear that the goal is not to improve the situation but to tighten control even further and turn the media more completely into a propaganda machine," says Tamara Filipovic Stevanovic. Nevertheless, Zoran Strika is hopeful that the protests will lead to a shift in public awareness of the importance of a free and independent media in Serbia. "I hope citizens will recognize the importance of the local media that have truly invested themselves in delivering quality over the years — and that they will be the ones to keep these media alive," he says. Edited by: Aingeal Flanagan
DW
8 hours ago
- DW
Polish presidential election outcome a blow to government – DW – 06/02/2025
Right-wing conservative historian and euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki has won the Polish presidential runoff by a whisker. The result is a bitter blow for Donald Tusk's pro-European government. Poland's State Election Commission announced on Monday morning that the right-wing conservative historian and euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki had received 50.89% of the vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, putting him marginally ahead of his liberal-conservative, pro-European rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, on 49.11%. Nawrocki will be inaugurated in August, succeeding President Andrzej Duda, who, after two terms in office, was no longer able to run for president. Nawrocki, a 42-year-old historian from Gdansk, was nominated by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. PiS presented Nawrocki as a non-partisan, independent "citizens' candidate" although his campaign was paid for and organized by the party and his program aligned with that of PiS. "We have succeeded in uniting the entire patriotic camp," said Nawrocki, who went on to say that a "Poland without migrants" was his political objective. "We won because we were right," added PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Supporters of the Confederation Liberty and Independence party, which has an ultranationalist and an economic libertarian wing, also voted for Nawrocki. Most supporters of Grzegorz Braun, a hard-right, antisemitic politician, backed Nawrocki at the ballot box, too. Bitter blow for the government Trzaskowski was the candidate of the liberal-conservative Civic Platform (PO) of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The 53-year-old mayor of Warsaw was also backed by other parties in the ruling coalition, the Third Way (TD) and the New Left. His surprising defeat is a major blow for Tusk's government. During his election campaign, Nawrocki made no bones of the fact that he intends to continue President Duda's policy of obstructing the government. In the 18 months since Tusk returned to power, Duda has often used his veto powers to block government reforms, especially those relating to the restoration of the rule of law. The outcome of the election is a massive blow to the government of Donald Tusk (right) Image: Mateusz Slodkowski/AFP/Getty Images "Nawrocki will apply the handbrake in terms of domestic policies and will make life difficult for the government," political scientist Barbara Brodzinska-Mirowska told broadcaster TVN on Sunday evening. Where does Nawrocki stand on key foreign policy issues? It is also likely that Nawrocki will narrow the government's room to maneuver in terms of foreign policy. According to the constitution, the Polish president is not only commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he also has a say in foreign policy. Nawrocki's stance on core foreign policy issues clashes with those of the government. During his election campaign, he spoke out against Ukraine joining NATO and in favor of attaching conditions to the country's EU accession. In terms of security, the president-elect favors relying on the US, is a euroskeptic and mistrusts Berlin. He also wants to continue efforts to get Germany to pay war reparations to Poland. "Poland is facing the Hungarian scenario," said sociologist Robert Sobiech, who warned that with Nawrocki, Poland will distance itself from Europe, as Hungary has under Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and that PiS could — together with the ultra-right Confederation Liberty and Independence party — return to power in 2027. An emotional roller coaster Both candidates were on an emotional roller coaster from the moment the polling stations closed at 9 p.m. CET. The first exit poll indicated that Trzaskowski (50.3%) had a wafer-thin lead over Nawrocki (49.7%). Mayor of Warsaw and presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski (pictured here casting his vote on Sunday) came a very close second Image: Petr David Josek/AP/picture alliance "We've won!" declared Trzaskowski, who promised to start implementing his program "like a torpedo" and pledged to extend a hand to all those who voted for his opponent. But the euphoria in his team didn't last long. Another poll released two hours later, which included the results from some polling stations, reversed the predicted outcome. An initial analysis indicates that it was above all men and people aged 29 and younger who voted for Nawrocki, while women and older people backed Trzaskowski. Numerous scandals did not stop Nawrocki In recent months, the media have made a series of major accusations against Nawrocki, who has been head of Poland's Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) since 2021. He was accused of having had ties to people in the hooligan scene and the criminal underworld and of having bought a social housing apartment from a destitute, alcohol-dependent man by dishonest means. Nawrocki admitted taking part in a pre-arranged mass brawl between the fans of two rival football clubs. An initial analysis indicates that it was above all men and people aged 29 and younger who voted for Nawrocki, while women and older people backed Trzaskowski Image: Muhammet Ikbal Arslan/Anadolu/picture alliance The online platform ONET claimed that while working for a security company as a student, Nawrocki organized prostitutes for guests at a luxury hotel in Sopot on the Baltic coast. But none of these reports derailed Nawrocki's bid for the presidency. Writer Slawomir Sierakowski spoke of the "boomerang effect," explaining that the "intrusive highlighting" of these stories in the media actually strengthened a feeling of solidarity with the candidate. Jacek Nizinkiewicz of the newspaper Rzeczpospolita on Monday called the outcome a "political earthquake." "Things will not calm down after the election. Poland has been so deeply divided for two decades that the new president will not fill in these trenches," wrote Nizinkiewicz. "It is to be feared that the opposite will be the case." This article was originally published in German.
