Election thriller in Poland: Nationalist Nawrocki displaces Trzaskowski in the race!

Election thriller in Poland: Nationalist Nawrocki displaces Trzaskowski in the race!

Polen - On June 2, 2025, a decisive runoff election around the presidency took place in Poland. The right -wing nationalist Karol Nawrocki from the Law and Justice (PIS), according to the current forecasts, leads with 51 % of the votes. In the first forecast, the candidate of the citizens' coalition, Rafał Trzaskowski, was initially at the forefront of 50.3 % and a lead of 0.6 percentage points at 9 p.m., which indicates an extremely tight election campaign. Trzaskowski had already declared itself the winner shortly after the polling stations were closed, but the subsequent surveys showed a different reality in which Nawrocki is ahead. The turnout remained at a high level at almost 72 %, which is an increase compared to the first ballot. Tagesschau reports that Nawrocki opened his supporters on the perspective of the victory and emphasized his intention to redeem Polen from Liberal Conservative Politics.

The political ambitions of Nawrocki are supported by the right -wing nationalist PIS. A victory for him could not only redesign Polish politics, but also question Poland's support for Ukraine, since Nawrocki expressed critical views regarding Ukrainian refugees and rejected NATO accession to Ukraine. This ballot is considered directional for Poland and Europe. A possible victory of Trzaskowski, on the other hand, could initiate reforms that were previously blocked by President Andrzej Duda. For example, Trzaskowski is committed to the relaxation of the abortion ban and the right-wing sexual minorities. Stern emphasizes that Nawrocki, a political newcomer, competed with the slogan "Poland first" and, among other things, Donald Trump, who predicted his victory in the election campaign. This was criticized as an election interference.

political reactions and media reporting

Both candidates have emphasized the need to unite the split land. While Trzaskowski asked the voters who did not give him their voice, Nawrocki called on his supporters to a closed patriotic camp. In the media there are already discussions about possible challenges of the election result by the PIS, which must also be considered in the context of the recent parliamentary election. In the last election in October 2023, the PIS took first place with 35.38 % of the votes, but missed the absolute majority in parliament, since an alliance of the opposition parties was able to reach a clear majority of 248 seats. Tagesschau informs that the turnout was 74.38 % in this last urn gang, which has been the highest value since 1989.

With the current election, the citizens of Poland have the opportunity to choose between a nationalist and a pro-European candidate. The outcome could not only have an impact on the national political league, but also influence the relationship of Poland to other European countries and international organizations.