Poland - May 2025
Opposition-backed candidate wins polarized presidential election
On 1 June, Karol Nawrocki, an independent candidate supported by the Law and Justice party (PiS) narrowly won the second round of Poland’s presidential election with 50.9 per cent of the vote. Rafał Trzaskowski, member of the incumbent Civic Platform party and mayor of Warsaw, received 49.1 per cent of the vote. The National Electoral Commission reported voter turnout of 71.6 per cent, up from 68.2 per cent turnout in the 2020 presidential election. Voter turnout in the first round of the election held on 18 May was 67.3 per cent. There were 13 presidential candidates in the first round, including 2 women and 11 men. Observers considered the election competitive and well managed, while noting a polarized media environment limiting voters’ access to impartial information.
Sources: Al Jazeera, National Electoral Commission Poland, International IDEA, Organzation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
