Karol Nawrocki surprisingly wins the Polish presidential election!

Karol Nawrocki surprisingly wins the Polish presidential election!

Polen - On June 2, 2025, Karol Nawrocki, the candidate of the right -wing populist party "Law and Justice" (PIS), won the second round of the Polish presidential elections. Nawrocki achieved 50.89 % of the vote and thus prevailed against the Liberal Mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, who received 49.11 %. This surprising outcome of the election came against the forecasts, which predicted a narrow loss for Nawrocki. The turnout was around 72 percent, which is higher than in the first ballot on May 18, in which Nawrocki received 29.5 % and Trzaskowski 31.4 % of the votes.

Karol Nawrocki, 42 years old, is known as the managing director of the Institute for National Memory and has a career as a historian and as an amateur boxer. Although he presented himself as an independent candidate, he was strongly supported by the PIS. His choice is not only a personal victory, but is also considered directional for the political landscape of Poland, after years of rule the center-left coalition under Donald Tusk.

political priorities and controversy

Nawrocki has already represented several controversial positions. He demands reparations from Germany for the Second World War and has chosen a German-critical line. He has also announced plans to withdraw Poles from the EU pact about migration and asylum as well as from the European Green Deal. Its support for an increase in defense budget to 5 % of GDP, currently 3.8 %, testifies to a clear focus on military strength, in a context in which the concerns to the Russia-Ukraine crisis were in the foreground.

Another central topic during his election campaign was the abortion laws and economic interests of the citizens. Experts explain that Nawrocki's presidency can have a significant impact on legislation, since the president is authorized to make a veto against laws and also influence military and foreign policy. He will take office on August 6, 2025, with high expectations of his government.

election procedures and political challenges

The Polish presidential elections follow an absolute majority voting right that can provide for a possible runoff election between the two best -placed candidates if no candidate reaches the required 50 % of the votes in the first ballot. This rule also came into force in the election on May 18, where the voter binding was guaranteed by various security and access measures, while the voices were released.

This choice not only acts as a confirmation for Nawrocki's political agenda, but could also influence the relationship with EU partners and NATO member nations, especially against the background of its previous statements, which are not very positive about Ukrainian refugees.

In the analysis of Nawrocki's choice, regional differences show clear trends: Trzaskowski received stronger support in urban metropolitan power centers, while Nawrocki could prove to be favorite in rural areas and in eastern Poland. With this choice, Nawrocki has the opportunity to bring Poland to a new course that has both domestic and foreign policy peculiarities.

These elections based on the principles of confidentiality and equality are considered crucial for the future political direction of the country. The outgoing President Andrzej Duda, also from the PIS, congratulated Nawrocki and thanked the voters. It remains to be seen whether Nawrocki is able to meet expectations.