Presidential election in Poland

Poland faces a choice of path when the presidential election is to be decided

A lot is at stake when Poland's presidential election is to be decided today. The election looks to be very close and is being followed with excitement and nervousness by the outside world, writes TT.

The election is between the national conservative right-wing candidate Karol Nawrocki and Warsaw's liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. The first round was already close, mainly because Nawrocki made a stronger choice than expected. This despite the fact that he has been repeatedly surrounded by revelations about connections to the underworld and crime.

If Nawrocki wins, Donald Trump will gain another important ally in the EU. A victory for Trzaskowski, on the other hand, would make life easier for the country's pro-Western Prime Minister Donald Tusk. With an ally in the presidency, it will be easier for Tusk to get his policies through.

Swedish expert on Polish presidential candidate: “Is a scoundrel, period”

National conservative Karol Nawrocki could be elected president of Poland today. Together with like-minded people such as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Slovakia’s Robert Fico, he could then try to put a damper on the EU, including with regard to support for Ukraine, writes TT.

Author and Poland expert Peter Johnsson describes the scandal-plagued Nawrocki as “of a different caliber” compared to Orbán and Fico. He believes that this is not least visible in the low support in his home region of Gdansk.

– Nawrocki is from Gdansk, and he received 16 percent of the votes there last time. 16. They know he is a scoundrel, period, he says.

Instead, he is supported mainly by voters in the poor parts of the east, where many mostly follow propaganda media, according to Johnsson.

Nawrocki has been repeatedly linked to crime and the underworld, but despite this, he made an unexpectedly strong showing in the first round. In the second round, he will face the liberal candidate Rafal Trzaskowski.