Karol Nawrocki clinches narrow victory in Poland’s presidential race

Karol Nawrocki, a conservative nationalist and EU sceptic, has narrowly won Poland’s presidential election, continuing a significant shift in the country’s political power landscapes and intensifying the nation’s deep ideological divisions. According to official results released by the electoral commission on Monday, Nawrocki secured 50.89% of the vote. He won against liberal, pro-European Union rival Rafał Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw, who garnered 49.11%, representing Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) party.

Nawrocki, 42, is a historian and amateur boxer closely associated with Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party. His campaign focused on prioritizing economic and social policies for Polish citizens, often at the expense of foreign nationals, including Ukrainian refugees. He has also voiced skepticism about Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, a stance that drew criticism from Kyiv and further highlighted the election’s geopolitical significance.

The election outcome is a setback for Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist, pro-EU government, which had sought to reverse many of the nationalist reforms enacted during PiS’s eight-year rule.


Nawrocki’s presidency ensures that the powerful presidential veto—frequently used by outgoing President Andrzej Duda—remains in the hands of the nationalist opposition, complicating Tusk’s efforts to liberalize policies on issues such as abortion and judicial independence.

Nawrocki’s victory was celebrated by his supporters, with chants of “Karol Nawrocki, the president of Poland,” as he declared, “We will win tonight”. The result was closely watched across Europe, the United States, and Russia, given Poland’s strategic role on NATO’s eastern flank and its support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The narrow margin and high turnout—over 71%—underscore Poland’s polarization, with Nawrocki drawing strong support from younger voters and rural regions, while Trzaskowski prevailed among expatriates and in western urban centers. As Nawrocki prepares to take office, Poland faces a period of political uncertainty, with two competing power centers—the government and the presidency—likely to clash over the country’s future direction.