Poland battles Russian destabilisation efforts ahead of presidential vote
Europe
06:08
06:08 min
Poland goes to the polls on Sunday for the first round of presidential elections. In a country that borders Ukraine and plays a key role in Western support to Kyiv, the stakes are high. So, the authorities say, is the level of attempted Russian meddling. From stoking a migrant crisis on the eastern border, to disinformation, cyberattacks and arson, Poland's government believes it is currently the most targeted country in the EU for Russian destabilisation efforts. Our correspondent Gulliver Cragg reports.
Victory in the elections for the liberal candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski, would end a difficult period of cohabitation between the outgoing conservative-nationalist Polish president Andrzej Duda and the governing coalition, which ranges from the left to the centre-right.
If Trzaskowski loses, it will be a huge blow to Prime Minister Donald Tusk 's efforts to bring Poland back into the liberal European mainstream after years of authoritarian drift.
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