Poles begin voting for new president in pivotal runoff election
Poles began voting Sunday in a decisive presidential runoff that could set the course for the nation's political future and its relations with the European Union.
The contest pits Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a liberal pro-EU figure, against Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party.
With conservative President Andrzej Duda completing his second and final term, the new president will have significant influence over whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government can fulfill its centrist agenda, given the presidential power to veto laws.
Poland to vote in razor-tight presidential election
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Voting began at 7am local time and will end at 9pm, when an Ipsos exit poll is expected. Final results are likely to be announced Monday. The runoff follows a tightly contested first round on May 18, in which Trzaskowski won just over 31 percent and Nawrocki nearly 30 percent, eliminating 11 other candidates.
The campaign has highlighted stark ideological divides. Trzaskowski, 53, has promised to restore judicial independence, ease abortion restrictions and promote ties with European partners. Nawrocki, 42, has positioned himself as a defender of traditional Polish values, skeptical of the EU, and aligned with US conservatives, including President Donald Trump.
Amid rising security fears over Russia's war in neighboring Ukraine, both candidates support aid to Kyiv, though Nawrocki opposes NATO membership for Ukraine, while Trzaskowski supports it in the future.
Nawrocki's campaign has echoed themes popular on the American right, including an emphasis on traditional values. His supporters feel that Trzaskowski, with his pro-EU views, would hand over control of key Polish affairs to larger European powers like France and Germany.
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