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yesterday

Poland Casts Votes in Deadlocked Presidential Runoff

A razor-thin contest will decide which candidate shapes Ukraine policy by wielding the presidency’s veto power over Prime Minister Tusk’s reform agenda.

The liberal presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski, front center, waves as he and supporters of take part in a march one week ahead of a decisive presidential election in Warsaw, Poland on Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Conservative presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, right, waves as he takes part in a march one week ahead of a decisive election in Warsaw Poland on Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
This combination of photos shows Rafal Trzaskowski, left, in Warsaw, Friday, May 9, 2025, and Karol Nawrocki, right, in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, May 20, 2025 (AP Photos/Czarek Sokolowski, File)
Mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowski is backed by Poland's ruling centrists

Overview

  • Opinion polls show Trzaskowski and Nawrocki deadlocked at roughly 46% each as polling stations open across Poland.
  • Trzaskowski, Warsaw’s mayor and a Civic Platform deputy leader, campaigns on deepening EU integration, sustaining Ukraine support and expanding abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.
  • Nawrocki, a grassroots historian endorsed by Law and Justice, opposes NATO expansion to Ukraine and has faced questions over alleged underworld connections and a property scandal.
  • Both candidates sought to attract former far-right voters by meeting with Slawomir Mentzen but diverged on formally committing to his veto demands on taxes and Ukraine membership.
  • The elected president’s veto power over judicial, abortion and civil union bills will be pivotal for Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist government.