Poland has elected conservative historian Karol Nawrocki as president in a tight race that threatens Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal agenda and signals a deeper nationalist shift across Europe.
At a Glance
- Karol Nawrocki won Poland’s presidency with 50.89% of the vote
- His opponent, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, received 49.11%
- Nawrocki is backed by the nationalist PiS party and Donald Trump
- The presidency holds veto power, complicating Tusk’s EU-aligned agenda
- The result reveals sharp divides between rural conservatives and urban liberals
A Razor-Thin Win With Major Consequences
Karol Nawrocki, a 42-year-old historian and political outsider, has narrowly defeated pro-EU candidate Rafał Trzaskowski to become Poland’s next president. The official results show Nawrocki with 50.89% of the vote, edging out Trzaskowski’s 49.11%. Turnout was a striking 71.6%, underlining the high stakes in a contest that pitted Poland’s liberal and conservative factions in a dead heat.
The victory deals a significant blow to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who had hoped that a Trzaskowski win would ease passage of pro-European reforms. Instead, Tusk now faces a president with veto authority aligned with the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, setting the stage for gridlock between executive and legislative branches.
Watch a report: Poland’s presidential election results shake Europe.
A Conservative Vision for Poland
Nawrocki’s campaign emphasized sovereignty, traditional values, and resistance to deeper EU integration. Backed by former President Donald Trump and supported by right-wing figures across Europe, Nawrocki pledged to defend Polish culture against what he called “secular globalist agendas.” He opposes expanding LGBTQ+ rights, questions climate policies he sees as economically harmful, and has expressed skepticism about giving
Ukrainian refugees equal benefits with Polish citizens.
Before entering politics, Nawrocki led the Institute of National Remembrance, where he pushed for removal of Soviet-era monuments and championed nationalist interpretations of Polish history. His supporters praise his unapologetic defense of national identity, while critics warn of intensified polarization under his leadership.
Though accused of past ties to football hooliganism and nationalist fringe groups, Nawrocki’s clean break from the political establishment helped energize rural and older voters, many of whom feel alienated by urban liberal elites.
A Divided Republic
The Polish presidency is sometimes labeled ceremonial, but in practice, it wields real power through the legislative veto. Nawrocki’s role will be pivotal in checking Prime Minister Tusk’s liberal government, which had counted on a Trzaskowski win to push reforms aligning Poland closer with EU norms.
Tusk now faces a more complicated political landscape, with potential confrontations over judicial reforms, climate policy, and media regulation. Analysts suggest Nawrocki’s presidency may deepen regional divides within the EU, especially as Poland aligns itself more closely with other nationalist governments in Hungary and Slovakia.
Nawrocki’s win underscores a growing skepticism toward Brussels across Central Europe, and for nationalist movements elsewhere, it signals renewed momentum in the battle over Europe’s future direction.
