Nationalist populist Karol Nawrocki will become Poland's next president after a fierce election match. His victory marked a major driving force for the populist trend in Europe and the globally.
The Election Commission’s results on Monday showed that Navoroki won 50.89% of the vote with the support of the opposition Law and Justice (PIS) party. His rival, liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, took 49.11% in runoff on Sunday.
The close-range result is seen as an illustration of the deep gap between Polish society among conservative forces, which are often associated with powerful Catholic churches and liberals, who are based primarily on major cities.
Despite the government's majority of Poland's power, Navoroki is expected to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Andrzej Duda, using the president's veto to block Prime Minister Donald Tusk's agenda.
Tusk's centrist coalition government has pledged to reform the judicial system, which was revamped during the eight-year administration, ending in 2023. The changes in PIS have created a fierce battle with the EU, which says they politicize the judiciary and are undemocratic.
Due to Duda's resistance, the government also worked to mitigate restrictions on abortion and LGBTQ rights.
Nawrocki pledged to protect Poland's sovereignty from excessive interference from Brussels, while he also criticized Ukraine for its hopes of joining the EU and NATO.
Although Nawrocki still supported Kyiv in the war with Russia, he also promised to place the interests of the Poles above the large number of Ukrainian refugees attracted by the country.
His victory could therefore complicate Warsaw's relationship with the EU and affect its support for Ukrainian refugees.
U.S. President Donald Trump blesses Nawrocki ahead of the election, and European right-wing forces were soon celebrated by the disappointment of George Simion, a nationalist in the Romanian presidential election last month.
This is the world's reaction to his victory:
Trzaskowski admitted his defeat and congratulated Nawrocki on his victory, but also warned him to represent all Poles. "This victory is an obligation, especially during such a difficult time. Especially at close range results. Don't forget," Trzaskowski said on X.
"I really expect you to not forget the voters who didn't vote for you in the first round of the first round of the federal party but didn't vote yesterday but didn't vote yesterday," Slawomir Mentzen, the leader of the far-right federal party, told Navoloki. "These people want to change. ”
"The referendum on the Tusk government firing has been won," PIS MP Jacek Sasin wrote on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated her, saying she was "confident" that her "very good cooperation" with Warsaw will continue.
"We are stronger in peace, democracy and values communities. So let's work to ensure the safety and prosperity of our common houses."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he looks forward to a "realistic cooperation" with Poland.
“By strengthening each other on our continent, we empower Europe to compete globally and achieve true and lasting peace,” Zelenskyy said.
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier congratulated Nawrocki and urged Poland to work closely on democracy and the rule of law, noting that the two neighbors must cooperate to "ensure a security, freedom and prosperity future in Europe."
Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he looks forward to working with Nawrocki to "ensure that in Poland, NATO becomes stronger than it is today".
The far-right leader Marine Le Pen welcomed the election’s results, calling it a “rejection of the Brussels oligarchs, a purpose designed to standardize legislation on member states, contrary to the will of any democratic commission”, while the European Commission’s “authoritarian policy and federalist ambition are cruelly transforming into national Soufrinisiti.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who tried to make himself an avatar of European nationalist populist forces, congratulated Nawrocki on his "wonderful victory." Orban added that he "looks forward to working with (Nawrocki) to strengthen Visegrad cooperation", a reference to the Visegrad group in the four countries, with the Czech Republic and Slovakia also members.
Foreign Secretary Peter Szijjarto called Nawrocki's success "a new victory for the (European) Patriots."
"Poland won," Cion failed to win the Romanian presidency to disappoint nationalists and European skepticism, he wrote on X.