Poland begins Presidential election

(MENAFN) Poland’s presidential election has begun, marking the start of a potentially close race that reflects the country’s divide between pro-EU and Eurosceptic views. If no candidate achieves a majority in the first round of voting on Sunday, a runoff will take place on June 1.

Approximately 29 million voters are eligible to select a new president from among 13 candidates, succeeding incumbent Andrzej Duda. Current polling points to three main contenders leading the race.

Rafal Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw and member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition, is the leading candidate. Known for his pro-European stance and support for judicial reform, Trzaskowski narrowly lost to Duda in the previous election. Though he advocates strong ties with Ukraine, he has proposed reducing social aid to Ukrainian refugees.

In second place is Karol Nawrocki, a conservative candidate supported by the Law and Justice party. Nawrocki is critical of left-leaning ideologies and opposes EU policies on migration and climate change. He rejects Ukraine’s bids to join the EU and NATO, and opposes financial assistance for refugees, while still backing military support for Ukraine.

Slawomir Mentzen, an economist from the right-wing Confederation party, is in third. Popular on TikTok, Mentzen opposes EU environmental regulations and accuses the government’s refugee policies of overburdening the country’s resources.

Shifting public opinion on Ukrainian refugees has become a central theme in the election, with increasing numbers of Poles reportedly favoring their return to Ukraine.

Exit polls are expected shortly after voting ends at 9 p.m. on Sunday, with official results due on Monday.

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