Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of Warsaw, has narrowly won the first round of Poland's presidential election, a significant vote as the government aims to reverse hard-right policies from the previous administration.
According to exit polls from Polish state and private television stations, Mr. Trzaskowski, a member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Platform, received 30.8 percent of the votes cast.
However, he did not achieve a majority, finishing just ahead of Karol Nowrocki, a candidate supported by the hard-right Law and Justice party, who garnered 29.1 percent. The two candidates will compete in a runoff scheduled for June 1.
If confirmed by the official vote count, Mr. Trzaskowski may face challenges in the runoff, as two far-right candidates appear to have finished third and fourth, collectively securing around 21 percent of the vote. This indicates that leading right-wing candidates received over half of the total votes.
In his speech to supporters on Sunday evening, Mr. Trzaskowski acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating, “there is much work ahead of us.”
While the Polish presidency is largely ceremonial, it holds veto powers that can complicate the government's operations. This election is viewed as a critical test of Mr. Tusk's ability to dismantle the legacy of the Law and Justice party, which was ousted in the 2023 election.
Mr. Tusk aims to counter a wave of right-wing populism in Europe and to restore judicial independence, media pluralism, women's rights, and civil discourse that liberals argue were severely undermined under Law and Justice.
The winner of the presidential election will succeed Andrzej Duda, a conservative ally of Law and Justice, who has used his veto powers to obstruct Mr. Tusk's legislative agenda, frequently vetoing bills passed by Mr. Tusk's center-right coalition or subjecting them to judicial review by courts influenced by the previous government.
On the campaign trail, Mr. Trzaskowski has attempted to appeal to a broad range of voters, including those in conservative rural areas who have historically supported Law and Justice. At a recent rally in rural borderlands near Ukraine, he expressed his commitment to “all Poles who want to see our country strong and united.”