Latest news with #PolishElection
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Karol Nawrocki declared winner of run-off election by Polish media
Polish conservative Karol Nawrocki won the run-off election for the presidency, according to local media on Monday, citing the election commission's count of more than 99% of votes. Nawrocki secured just under 51% of the vote, Polish media, including the Rzeczpospolita newspaper and portal, reported. His opponent, liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, received just over 49%. An official final result of the vote to find a successor to President Andrzej Duda is not expected until Monday evening from the electoral commission. All the opinion polls in the run-up to Sunday's vote had indicated a razor-thin gap between the candidates since the first round of voting on May 18. Exit polls on election night on Sunday also indicated the result was too close to call, with forecasts giving Trzaskowski around 50.3% of the vote and Nawrocki about 49.7%. Trzaskowski had called the outcome a win immediately after the first exit polls were announced. In Poland, the president holds a five-year term and has broad powers, including representing the country abroad, shaping foreign policy, appointing the prime minister and the Cabinet, and serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the event of war. Nawrocki, a historian who has never held public office, represents the conservative nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS). As head of the Institute of National Remembrance tasked with evaluating the country's complex recent past, Nawrocki ordered Soviet memorials to be destroyed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, exploiting the move in the media and incurring the wrath of the Kremlin. His upbringing in a working class area in Gdańsk, his successful career in amateur boxing and his work as a nightclub bouncer while a student are pluses with many voters. Less so his alleged links to prostitution dating back to that time. He aims to maintain traditional Polish values and cautions against transferring powers to the European Union. Nawrocki enjoys the backing of US President Donald Trump, who granted him an audience in the White House in early May during the Polish presidential campaign.
Al Jazeera
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Rival marches draw thousands before pivotal Polish presidential election
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Warsaw to show support for the opposing candidates in next weekend's tightly contested Polish presidential run-off, which the government views as crucial to its efforts for pro-European democratic reform. Prime Minister Donald Tusk hopes to galvanise support for his candidate, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, to replace outgoing Andrzej Duda, a nationalist who has vetoed many of Tusk's efforts to reform the judiciary. 'All of Poland is looking at us. All of Europe is looking at us. The whole world is looking at us,' Trzaskowski told supporters who waved Polish and European Union flags on Sunday. Tusk swept to power in 2023 with a broad alliance of leftist and centrist parties on a promise to undo changes made by the nationalist Law and Justice government that the EU said had undermined democracy and women's and minority rights. Trzaskowski beat nationalist opponent Karol Nawrocki by 2 percentage points in the first round of the election on May 18 but is struggling to sustain his lead, according to opinion polls. The two candidates are locked in a tight contest before the June 1 run-off with the latest polls projecting a tie of 47 percent of the vote each. Nawrocki's voters – some wearing hats with the words 'Poland is the most important,' a nod to United States President Donald Trump's America First policies – gathered in a different part of the capital to show support for his drive to align Poland more closely with Trump and the region's populists. 'I am the voice of all those whose cries do not reach Donald Tusk today. The voice of all those who do not want Polish schools to be places of ideology, our Polish agriculture to be destroyed or our freedom taken away,' Nawrocki told the crowd. Some of his supporters carried banners with slogans such as 'Stop Migration Pact' and 'This is Poland' or displayed images of Trump. 'He is the best candidate, the most patriotic, one who can guarantee that Poland is independent and sovereign,' Jan Sulanowski, 42, said. An estimated 50,000 people attended the gathering of Nawrocki's supporters while about 140,000 people participated in the march supporting Trzaskowski, the Polish Press Agency reported, citing unofficial preliminary estimates from city authorities. Jakub Kaszycki, 21, joined the pro-Trzaskowski march, saying it could determine Poland's future direction. 'I very much favour … the West's way to Europe, not to Russia,' he said. At Trzaskowski's march, newly elected Romanian President Nicusor Dan pledged to work closely with Tusk and Trzaskowski 'to ensure Poland and the European Union remain strong'. Dan's unexpected victory in a vote on May 18 over a hard-right Trump supporter was greeted with relief in Brussels and other parts of Europe because many were concerned that his rival George Simion would have complicated EU efforts to tackle Russia's war in Ukraine.
Al Arabiya
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Rival marches draw thousands in Warsaw ahead of Polish presidential vote
Tens of thousands of people took the streets of Warsaw on Sunday to show support for rival candidates in next week's tightly-contested Polish presidential election that the government views as crucial to its efforts for democratic reform. Prime Minister Donald Tusk hopes to galvanize support for his candidate, the liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, to replace the outgoing Andrzej Duda, a nationalist who has vetoed many of his efforts to reform the judiciary. 'All of Poland is looking at us. All of Europe is looking at us. The whole world is looking at us,' Trzaskowski told supporters who waved Polish and European Union flags. Tusk swept to power in 2023 with a broad alliance of leftist and centrist parties, on a promise to undo changes made by the nationalist Law and Justice government that the European Union said had undermined democracy and women's and minority rights. But Trzaskowski is struggling to secure a lead in opinion polls, after beating nationalist Karol Nawrocki by two percentage points in the first round of the election on May 18. Nawrocki's voters, some wearing hats bearing the words 'Poland is the most important,' gathered in a different part of the capital to show support for his drive to align Poland more closely with US President Donald Trump's policies. 'I am the voice of all those whose cries do not reach Donald Tusk today. The voice of all those who do not want Polish schools to be places of ideology, our Polish agriculture to be destroyed, or our freedom taken away,' Nawrocki told the crowd on Sunday. Some of his supporters carried banners with slogans such as 'Stop Migration Pact,' 'This is Poland,' or displayed images of Trump. Supporters chanted 'God, Honor, Fatherland' and carried religious symbols, including statues of the Virgin Mary. 'He is the best candidate, the most patriotic, one who can guarantee that Poland is independent and sovereign,' said Jan Sulanowski, 42. At Trzaskowski's march, the newly-elected president of Romania Nicusor Dan pledged to work closely with Tusk and Trzaskowski 'to ensure Poland and the European Union remain strong.' Dan's unexpected victory in a vote on May 18 over a hard-right Trump supporter was greeted with relief in Brussels and other parts of Europe, as many were concerned that his rival George Simion would have complicated EU efforts to tackle Russia's war in Ukraine. Jakub Kaszycki, 21, joined the pro-Trzaskowski march, saying it could determine Poland's future direction. 'I very much favor... the west way to Europe, not to Russia,' he said. At Trzaskowski's march, people held banners displaying the word 'Demonkraci' alongside images that associated Duda and Nawrocki with a demonic version of democracy as opposed to the 'okay' democracy 'DemOKracja' represented by Trzaskowski and his wife.
Russia Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Presidential election kicks off in Poland
The Polish presidential election is underway in what will likely be a tight contest pitting critics of the EU against those supporting deeper integration. A runoff will be held on June 1 if no candidate secures a majority in Sunday's first round. Around 29 million eligible voters will be choosing the successor to President Andrzej Duda from a field of 13 candidates. According to the latest opinion polls, three contenders have emerged as frontrunners. Emerging as the frontrunner is Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who is aligned with Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition. A pro-European candidate and advocate of judicial reform, Trzaskowski narrowly lost the last presidential election to Duda five years ago. He is seen as the most pro-Ukrainian contender, though he has pledged to cut some social benefits to Ukrainian nationals. Karol Nawrocki, backed by the Law and Justice party and running on a conservative platform, is polling second. He strongly opposes what he calls left-wing ideologies and has criticized EU migration and climate policies. Nawrocki rejects Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO and is against financial support for refugees, though he backs continued military aid to Kiev. Slawomir Mentzen, an economist from the right-leaning Confederation Liberty and Independence party, is currently polling in third place. Mentzen is prominent on social media, especially TikTok, where he has criticized EU regulations on car emissions and home heating, arguing they undermine Polish sovereignty. He has also condemned the government's refugee policy, claiming it strains public resources. Public sentiment toward Ukrainian refugees has shifted significantly of late. Media reports claim a growing numbers of Poles now support having them returned home. The issue has become prominent in the campaigns of several of the leading candidates. The official results are expected on Monday, although exit polls will be released shortly after voting ends at 9 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Reuters
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Polish election frontrunner speaks Europe's language
SZCZECIN, Poland, May 16 (Reuters) - Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, the Oxford-educated son of a jazz musician and frontrunner in Sunday's Polish presidential election, made friends across the European Parliament when he worked there, including with Portugal's now-foreign minister. "He was very well known, not only because he was very talented," Paulo Rangel said during a break from campaigning for his own country's election, referring to their time together as EU lawmakers from 2009. "He really became very popular... because he was a very easy-going person but at the same time he could speak five languages," he added. Trzaskowski can communicate in English, French, Spanish, Russian and Italian. His supporters hope his friendships with high-ranking European policymakers like Rangel can further Poland's growing influence in Europe since Prime Minister Donald Tusk succeeded a eurosceptic nationalist in 2023. But it is also part of the reason some Poles going to vote in the first round of a presidential election on May 18 view him as part of a liberal metropolitan elite whose concerns are far removed from their own. Trzaskowski paints the vote as a choice between Western liberal values and the rising nationalism across central and eastern Europe, where eurosceptic parties have already won power or are poised to do so. "These elections are about whether we will be part of the West or part of the East," he told a rally in the northern port city of Szczecin. "Look where Slovakia is today, where Hungary is, what's happening in the Balkans. Look - this very same battle is happening in Romania... These parties are either pro-Russian or repeat Russian propaganda. They simply don't feel at home in Europe. Why? Because Europe is too positive for them." His rivals are fighting back. "He is so European he has forgotten he is Polish," said Marek Suski, a lawmaker from the nationalist opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. PiS backs conservative historian and amateur boxer Karol Nawrocki to become president, a role with limited executive powers but the right to veto legislation, in the election, which is likely to go to a second round. Outgoing PiS President Andrzej Duda has used his power of veto to block many of Tusk's pro-European reforms. After studying in Oxford and Paris, Trzaskowski wrote a PhD thesis in Warsaw called "The dynamics of reforming the decision-making system of the European Union". He worked as an adviser and an elected member of the European Parliament before becoming Poland's Minister of Administration and Digitalisation and then Deputy Foreign Minister. As mayor of Warsaw since 2018, he has gained a reputation as a supporter of liberal causes such as LGBT rights. His critics say he is a deeply polarising figure in a country where many Poles, especially outside the big cities, hold socially conservative views, and they are scathing about his perceived rightward shift during the presidential campaign. His rivals also say his pro-European stance means he will put the interests of other countries above those of Poland. His supporters say he is trying to reach out to all sides of the political spectrum. "His goal is to reduce the polarisation we see in Poland," said Agnieszka Pomaska, a lawmaker from the ruling Civic Coalition (KO) and a member of Trzaskowski's campaign team. "He's definitely not someone who rejects ideas just because they come from another political camp." Rangel said Trzaskowski could cement Poland's place as a major player at the heart of European policymaking over the twin challenges of Russia's invasion of Poland's eastern neighbour Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Trzaskowski's international track record "will open a lot of doors," Rangel said.
