20,000 people chose to be part of the Kyiv Independent community — thank you.

Skip to content
Edit post

Poland heads to runoff between pro-EU Trzaskowski and Eurosceptic Nawrocki

by Olena Goncharova May 19, 2025 1:24 AM  (Updated: ) 2 min read
Centrist candidate Rafal Trzaskowski casts his vote with his wife in the Ursynow district in Warsaw, Poland, on May 18, 2025, during the country's presidential election. On Sunday the polls showed a very minor, almost insignificant lead for Trzaskowski over his conservative rival Karol Nawrocki. (Jaap Arriens / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Editor's note: The article was updated with final election results.

Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski narrowly led Poland’s presidential election on May 18, but failed to secure an outright victory. He will face conservative Karol Nawrocki in a runoff on June 1.

Trzaskowski, a senior figure in Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform (PO) party, won 31.4% of the vote, final results showed. Nawrocki, a historian backed by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, came in second with 29.5%, setting the stage for a closely contested runoff as no candidate among the 13 contenders passed the 50% threshold.

Speaking to supporters at a rally in Sandomierz, southern Poland, Trzaskowski said: "We’re going to win," but acknowledged that victory would require "a lot of work and great determination." He added, "I’m convinced that all Poland will win."

Trzaskowski has pledged to work with Tusk’s coalition government to liberalize Poland’s strict abortion laws and to push forward long-stalled judicial reforms, which were previously blocked under the PiS-led government.

Despite leading the polls in the lead-up to the vote, Trzaskowski underperformed expectations, which had placed him 4–6 points ahead of Nawrocki. His campaign now faces the challenge of consolidating centrist and center-left support, including from junior coalition parties such as the Left and the conservative Third Way.

Nawrocki, relatively unknown nationally before being endorsed by the PiS party, has seen his profile rise throughout the campaign. Addressing his supporters in Gdansk, he warned that Tusk must be stopped from gaining "total power in Poland." He urged voters who backed far-right candidates Slawomir Mentzen (14.8%) and Grzegorz Braun (6.3%) to rally behind him in the second round to "save Poland" from Tusk’s influence.

While Poland’s presidency is largely ceremonial, the role carries veto power. With Tusk’s coalition lacking the parliamentary majority to override a presidential veto, the outcome of the runoff will determine whether the government can move forward with key reforms.

Nicusor Dan wins Romanian presidential election, defeating anti-Ukraine Simion
In an anxiously watched race, Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan won the presidency against the far-right candidate George Simion, who is banned from entering both Ukraine and Moldova due to his extremist views.

Independent journalism needs a community —
not a paywall.

We’re working hard to show the world the truth of Russia’s brutal war — and we’re keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all.

More than 20,000 people chose to stand behind us. We’re deeply grateful and overwhelmed with your support. Thank you for making it possible.

Let´s see how far we can go?

News Feed

6:17 PM  (Updated: )

Ukraine refutes Russia’s claims of disrupting POW exchange.

"If the Russian side is now backing away from what was promised in Istanbul, it raises serious questions about the reliability and capability of their negotiating team," Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on June 7.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.