Karol Nawrocki, the anti-EU and far-right candidate in the Polish presidential election, has narrowly secured victory with 50.9% of the vote, edging out his liberal opponent, Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.1%.
The impact of the presidential election in Poland is limited, as the President holds primarily a ceremonial role. However, the President does retain certain key powers, including the ability to veto legislation passed by Parliament. This veto can be overridden by a three-fifths majority in the lower house of Parliament, making the President’s influence rather limited.
The victory by Karol Nawrocki comes following a victory in Romania by the pro-European political forces that elected Nicusor Dan as President. The victory in Poland by Karol Nawrocki is seen as a win for the Kremlin which is increasingly trying to influence European politics to the far-right. However, Karol Nawrocki can not be described as a pro-Russian, given that he describes Russia as a “barbaric state” and supports weapons aid to Ukraine. However, he is also more appeasing to Russia than his political adversaries, supports President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, and does not support Ukraine joining NATO or the EU.
Karol Nawrocki’s political campaign was heavily backed and promoted by the US government administration. Members of the President Trump’s administration and his allies travelled to Poland to support Karol Nawrocki on the campaign trail, including the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Newsroom
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