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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Pro-EU and MAGA visions clash in Poland's closely fought presidential runoff
Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, and his wife Marta Nawrocka look on on the day of his final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, speaks during his final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel A supporter of Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, wears boxing gloves during Nawrocki's final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel A combination picture shows two leading candidates in the Polish presidential election, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, Civic Coalition presidential candidate, smiling during a visit to the Weglewski farm, ahead of the second round of Polish presidential election, in Buczek, May 29, 2025, and Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, reacting during his final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel Supporters of Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, attend his final rally, ahead of the second round of presidential election, in Biala Podlaska, Poland, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel WARSAW - Poland holds a knife-edge presidential election on Sunday which will determine whether the largest country in the European Union's eastern wing cements its place in the bloc's mainstream or turns towards MAGA-style nationalism. Turnout holds the key to the contest between Rafal Trzaskowski of ruling centrists Civic Coalition (KO), who holds a narrow lead, and Karol Nawrocki, backed by nationalists Law and Justice (PiS). Parliament holds most power in Poland but the president can veto legislation so the vote is being watched closely in neighbouring Ukraine, as well as in Russia, the U.S. and across the EU. Both candidates agree on the need to spend heavily on defence, as U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding from Europe, and to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's three-year-old invasion. But while Trzaskowski sees Ukraine's future membership of NATO as essential for Poland's security, Nawrocki has recently said he would not ratify it as president as this could draw the alliance into a war with Russia. Trzaskowski says strong relations with both Brussels and Washington are essential for Poland's security, but Nawrocki, who met Trump in the White House in May, prioritises relations with the United States. If Nawrocki wins, he is likely to follow a similar path to President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally who has used his veto power to block the government's efforts to undo the previous PiS administration's judicial reforms which the EU says undermined the independence of the courts. Coming around a year-and-a half since Prime Minister Donald Tusk took office, the vote provides the stiffest test yet of support for his broad coalition government, with Nawrocki presenting the ballot as a referendum on its actions. Voting begins at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and is due to end at 9 p.m., with exit polls published soon afterwards. The electoral commission says it hopes final results will be announced on Monday morning or early afternoon. Opinion polls show that the difference between the candidates is within the margin of error. In 2023, huge queues outside polling stations in large cities forced some to stay open later than planned. Analysts said that high participation by younger, liberal, urban Poles was crucial in securing a majority for Tusk. Trzaskowski is hoping that such scenes will be repeated on Sunday. "Encourage everyone, so that as many Poles as possible vote in the presidential election," he told a rally in Wloclawek, central Poland, on Friday. Nawrocki, who draws inspiration from United States President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, told supporters in Biala Podlaska in the country's east that "these elections could be decided by single votes". SOCIAL ISSUES The two candidates also differ on social issues, with Trzaskowski favouring the liberalisation of abortion laws and introduction of civil partnerships for LGBT couples, while Nawrocki says predominantly Catholic Poland should reject such moves. The first round of the election on May 18 saw a surge in support for the anti-establishment far-right, suggesting that the KO-PiS duopoly that has dominated Polish politics for a generation may be starting to fracture. Nevertheless, after a tumultuous campaign in which Nawrocki in particular faced a slew of negative media reports about his alleged past conduct, once again candidates representing the two main parties are facing off in the second round. PiS has traditionally enjoyed high support in small towns and rural areas, especially in the south and east. These areas are typically more socially conservative than larger cities and poorer, creating a sense of exclusion that PiS has tapped into. "They want to build a Poland for the elites," Nawrocki told voters in Biala Podlaska, referring to his opponents from KO. "I am simply one of you, I am a citizen of the Polish state who has travelled a long road to be able to today face a person who is the creation of a political laboratory!" KO, meanwhile, campaigns on a pro-European centrist agenda that appeals to more liberal-minded Poles who mainly live in cities or bigger towns. Trzaskowski took heart from the turnout at a rally in Ciechanow, central Poland. "Looking at this mobilisation, I see how much hope you have - hope in a future in which Poland plays a leading role in the European Union," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Chelsea fans toast Conference League trophy but look forward to bigger challenges
Soccer Football - Conference League - Final - Real Betis v Chelsea - Wroclaw Stadium, Wroclaw, Poland - May 28, 2025 Chelsea's Moises Caicedo celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez and Chelsea's Jadon Sancho REUTERS/Kacper Pempel Soccer Football - Conference League - Final - Real Betis v Chelsea - Wroclaw Stadium, Wroclaw, Poland - May 28, 2025 Chelsea's Reece James lifts the trophy with teammates after winning the Conference League REUTERS/Kacper Pempel WROCLAW, Poland - Chelsea fans toasted Wednesday's Conference League triumph with varying views on the trophy's prestige, but all were united on at least one front, that the future looks bright for the London club. After going a goal down, Chelsea quickly asserted themselves and left little doubt by the final whistle that they were the better side, closing the match in Wroclaw with a commanding 4-1 victory over Spanish side Real Betis. Chelsea are now the first English side to win all four major European trophies, having twice claimed both the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League as well as the now defunct Cup Winners' Cup. They have also won two UEFA Super Cups. "A trophy always feels good," said lifelong Chelsea fan Martin as he was celebrating in the old town of the Polish city. "Of course it is a real trophy. We haven't had the best season, but we completed the set, we won everything in Europe there is to win," said another supporter, James. Still, there were murmurs among the fans about the tournament's lack of prestige and competitiveness. "During the whole tournament, I did not feel like it was a competition. It was obvious Chelsea was going to win," Chelsea fan Marip said. "Hopefully next year we will get some stronger teams to play against." "Not really a big thing. We usually win a major trophy," said a 10-year-old Chelsea supporter from London. Though there were differing views, all agreed that the club is on an upward trajectory. "I hope we get more interesting players in the transfer window, but we are in good shape for what comes," Marip added. "We have come in the top four in the Premier League and are ready for Champions League. It's all good," James said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Poland's CD Projekt's "Cyberpunk 2" enters preproduction phase
FILE PHOTO: A bird flies in front of the Cd Projekt logo at its headquarters in Warsaw, Poland January 21, 2020. Picture taken January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo (Reuters) -Poland's biggest game developer CD Projekt said on Wednesday that the next "big" game set in the Cyberpunk universe, "Cyberpunk 2", has entered the preproduction phase. "Cyberpunk 2", on which 96 developers were working at the end of April, is a sequel to "Cyberpunk 2077" which debuted in December 2020 and has sold more than 25 million copies so far. Total sales of Cyberpunk's "Phantom Liberty" expansion have meanwhile surpassed 10 million copies, CD Projekt said. The company's first-quarter net profit fell 14.1% year-on-year to 86.0 million zlotys due to paying more tax than in the year earlier period, missing analysts' expectations of 95 million zlotys, as compiled in a Reuters poll. Revenue for the period was flat at 226.3 million zlotys. "Cyberpunk 2077" will also be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 when it launches on June 5. ($1 = 3.7533 zlotys) (Reporting by Adrianna Ebert; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Russia-backed group hacked into networks of police and NATO, say Dutch authorities
FILE PHOTO: A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -A previously unknown Russian hacking group was behind attacks last year on the networks of the Dutch police, NATO and several European countries, Dutch intelligence agencies said on Tuesday. The group, nicknamed Laundry Bear by the security agencies, was most likely supported by the Russian state, the Dutch General Intelligence Agency and Military Agency said in a joint letter to parliament. "The cyberattacks against Dutch institutions are part of a larger international cyber threat posed by the hacker group," they said in a statement detailing the findings of their probe into the incidents. The group operated under the radar until it was discovered conducting a hacking operation in September 2024 in which it successfully gained access to the confidential details of Dutch police officials, it said. Laundry Bear also conducted cyber-espionage against companies that produce high-end technologies that Russia has difficulty accessing due to Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, it said. "The investigation also reveals that Laundry Bear has been responsible for cyber operations against Western governments and other institutions since at least 2024," the statement added. It said the group had sought to get hold of information related to "the procurement and production of military equipment by Western governments and Western arms deliveries to Ukraine". (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch;Editing by Helen Popper)
The Star
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Poland's Allegro confirms outlook after Q1 earnings at home rise 4.8%
A man transports packages at the Polish marketplace Allegro ( distribution centre, ahead of Christmas, in Adamow, Poland, December 11, 2024. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo
