Poland’s National Electoral Commission confirmed on Monday that nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki has won the country’s presidential run-off election, defeating liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski by a margin of just over one percentage point.
With 100 percent of ballots tallied, Nawrocki secured 50.89 percent of the vote to Trzaskowski’s 49.11 percent. The 42-year-old historian and former head of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance will take office on 6 August, succeeding outgoing conservative President Andrzej Duda.
Nawrocki has vowed to wield the presidential veto against legislation put forward by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist coalition, particularly judicial and social reforms aimed at rolling back changes enacted by the previous Law & Justice (PiS) government. Analysts say the result is likely to complicate Tusk’s agenda through the remainder of the parliamentary term, which runs until late 2027.
- Judicial overhaul: Tusk’s efforts to depoliticise the courts and mend relations with the EU are expected to face headwinds under a president who has pledged to protect PiS-era changes.
During the campaign, Nawrocki promised to prioritise Poles over foreign nationals in social programmes, tapping into public unease over the roughly one million Ukrainian refugees now living in Poland.
Nawrocki’s bid drew visible backing from U.S. right-wing figures:
- White House visit: President Donald Trump hosted Nawrocki during the campaign.
- On-the-ground boost: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem travelled to Poland last week to endorse him and discuss deeper military cooperation; about 10,000 U.S. troops are already stationed in the country.
MAGA flags appeared frequently at Nawrocki rallies, and his victory is being hailed by right-wing parties across Europe. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called the outcome a “fresh victory for patriots.” Nawrocki will be sworn in on 6 August.
