Overview

• Rafał Trzaskowski secured approximately 30% of the vote in the May 18 first round, ahead of Karol Nawrocki, who garnered around 25%.
• The two frontrunners will face off in a June 1 runoff, as no candidate achieved the majority needed to win outright in the crowded field of 13 contenders.
• The election will determine whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European government can advance stalled judicial, media, and social reforms blocked by outgoing President Andrzej Duda’s vetoes.
• Trzaskowski, aligned with Tusk’s liberal Civic Coalition, advocates for EU integration and progressive social policies, while Nawrocki, backed by the nationalist Law and Justice party, emphasizes conservative values and closer ties with Donald Trump.
• Reports of foreign interference, including denial-of-service attacks and foreign-funded ads, have raised security concerns during the campaign period.