Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Polish Presidential Runoff Tightens with Trzaskowski Slightly Ahead

Third-place candidate Slawomir Mentzen’s voters now hold the balance of power in a contest that will shape Poland’s EU and NATO alignment.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • A new Opinia24 poll gives Rafał Trzaskowski 51 percent against Karol Nawrocki’s 48 percent as the June 1 runoff approaches.
  • Slawomir Mentzen’s roughly 15 percent share from the first round makes his supporters the key to victory for both finalists.
  • Trzaskowski publicly rejected Mentzen’s demands to rule out NATO membership for Ukraine, while Nawrocki endorsed all eight of Mentzen’s points.
  • Both candidates are courting US support, explicitly seeking endorsement from President Donald Trump to reinforce Poland’s security against Russian threats.
  • Nawrocki has intensified accusations that Trzaskowski answers to Germany, reviving the ‘German card’ to question his loyalties.