The National Electoral Commission of Poland has completed the vote count at all polling stations
This is reported by Kyiv24
Election Results and Power Dynamics
On June 1, the second round of the presidential elections took place in Poland. The final political showdown was between the candidate from the ruling party “Civic Platform,” Rafał Trzaskowski, and Karol Nawrocki, who was supported by the opposition party “Law and Justice.”
In the first round, Trzaskowski received 31.36% of the votes, while Nawrocki garnered 29.54%. Among other candidates, far-right politicians stood out: Sławomir Mentzen received 14.81%, and Grzegorz Braun received 6.34%. The liberal Speaker of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, secured support from 4.99% of voters.
Throughout the voting day, the intrigue remained: the chances of both candidates were nearly equal, and the initial exit poll results favored Trzaskowski. However, after the final vote count, the situation changed, and Karol Nawrocki emerged victorious.
“Today, the National Electoral Commission of Poland announced the results of the count from 100 percent of polling stations. Karol Nawrocki has won the presidential elections.”
Nawrocki’s Personality and Impact on the Ukrainian Issue
Karol Nawrocki, a 42-year-old historian and head of the Institute of National Remembrance in Poland, had remained outside public politics prior to his presidential campaign and lacked significant oratory experience. In his childhood, he actively engaged in football and boxing, and while studying at the history faculty, he worked as a security guard at a prestigious hotel in his hometown of Gdańsk.
Throughout the campaign, Nawrocki repeatedly expressed a tough stance on Ukraine. He insisted that “acknowledgment of guilt” by Kyiv for the Volhynia tragedy is a necessary condition for Ukraine’s further advancement towards NATO and the EU. Additionally, Nawrocki signed a political declaration by Sławomir Mentzen, in which Poland commits not to support Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
The views of the two finalists significantly differed: Nawrocki opposed Ukraine’s integration into Western structures, while Trzaskowski supported Ukraine’s unconditional accession to NATO and the European Union.
Nawrocki was also accompanied by scandals. Before the second round, reports emerged in the press that during his time as a security guard at the hotel, he allegedly facilitated guests’ access to sex workers; however, the candidate categorically denied this. His opponents also accused him of connections with semi-criminal circles that he may have acquired in his youth.
The President of Poland has limited powers but can veto laws, which creates new challenges for Donald Tusk’s government and the “Civic Platform” following the change of head of state.