Warsaw: Conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki is set to take over as Poland’s next president after narrowly defeating Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, securing 50.89% of the vote in a closely contested election. Initial exit polls had projected a win for Trzaskowski, but as counting progressed, the results swung in Nawrocki’s favour, culminating in his narrow victory.
At 42, Nawrocki is a historian and former amateur boxer. He emerged as a political figure under the Law and Justice (PiS) party, which governed Poland from 2015 until 2023, before being ousted by a centrist coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. His candidacy was seen as an effort by PiS to rebrand itself and distance from controversies that plagued its previous administration.
Led nationalist history institute
Before running for president, Nawrocki headed Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, an organisation known for promoting nationalist interpretations of the country’s history. His tenure was marked by actions such as the removal of Soviet Red Army monuments—moves that led Russia to place him on its wanted list.
Described by his supporters as a defender of traditional values, Nawrocki has found strong backing among voters critical of liberal ideologies, particularly those promoting LGBTQ rights and secularism. Many of his supporters believe he represents a return to cultural “normalcy,” drawing comparisons with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s political messaging.
His surprise win marks a significant political comeback for the Law and Justice party, which some analysts had ruled out of the presidential race after its recent loss of parliamentary power.
