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WARSAW, Poland -- Poland is acceptable to clasp a statesmanlike runoff election connected Sunday betwixt two candidates offering starkly antithetic visions for the country’s future.
The victor volition win President Andrzej Duda, a blimpish who is finishing his 2nd and last term. The result volition find whether Poland embraces a nationalist populist trajectory oregon pivots much afloat toward liberal, pro-European policies. An exit canvass by Ipsos volition beryllium released erstwhile polls adjacent connected Sunday astatine 9 p.m. section time, with a borderline of mistake of positive oregon minus 2 percent points. Final results are expected Monday.
Whoever wins tin beryllium expected to either assistance oregon hinder the docket of the centrist authorities of Prime Minister Donald Tusk acknowledgment to the statesmanlike powerfulness to veto laws.
The ballot comes amid heightened determination tensions driven by Russia’s warfare successful neighboring Ukraine, information concerns crossed Europe and interior debates astir the regularisation of law.
It follows a archetypal circular connected May 18, successful which Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski won much than 31% of the ballot and Karol Nawrocki, a blimpish historian, earned astir 30%. Eleven different candidates were eliminated.
Opinion polls amusement the 2 men moving cervix and neck. Other factors adhd to the unpredictability. Nawrocki did overmuch amended successful the archetypal circular than surveys had predicted, indicating that his spot was underestimated. On the different hand, ample numbers of Poles overseas person registered to ballot successful the 2nd round, which could assistance Trzaskowski.
Nawrocki is simply a 42-year-old historiographer who was tapped arsenic by the nationalist blimpish Law and Justice enactment contempt a deficiency of governmental acquisition oregon enactment membership. But this is seen arsenic acting successful his favor, arsenic the party, which governed for 2015-2023, seeks to refresh its representation earlier a parliamentary predetermination successful 2027.
Nawrocki’s supporters picture him arsenic the embodiment of traditional, patriotic Polish values. They judge U.S. President Donald Trump's enactment for him volition fortify Poland's ties with the United States and marque the state safer.
Trzaskowski, 53, is Warsaw’s politician and a adjacent state of Tusk. A lawman person of Civic Platform, a pro-European Union party, helium has been salient successful nationalist authorities for years. This is his 2nd statesmanlike bid aft narrowly losing to Duda successful 2020.
Supporters recognition him with modernizing Warsaw done infrastructure, nationalist transit enlargement and cultural investments. He is wide seen arsenic pragmatic and focused connected strengthening ties with different European nations.
Nawrocki precocious received a boost from Trump and different U.S. conservatives, who spot the Polish predetermination arsenic portion of a planetary conflict betwixt wide and populist right-wing forces.
His run has echoed themes fashionable connected the American right, including skepticism toward EU bureaucracy and accent connected Christian identity. His supporters consciousness that Trzaskowski, with his pro-EU views, would manus implicit power of cardinal Polish issues to Paris and Berlin.
Nawrocki besides has been endorsed by the Trump medication and blimpish Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Many European centrists are rooting for Trzaskowski, seeing successful him idiosyncratic who would support ideology arsenic it faces unit from authoritarian forces crossed the globe. He has received the enactment of caller centrist Romanian President Nicusor Dan — who precocious defeated a far-right nationalist.
Nawrocki has faced a fig of scandals implicit the past months, but it's not wide that they are hurting him. In fact, they mightiness person the other effect. Many right-wing voters don't judge the allegations and impeach the media of utilizing its powerfulness to wounded him, creating what appears to beryllium a rallying effect astir him.
Nawrocki himself has acknowledged that helium took portion successful an organized brawl including shot hooligans successful 2009. A erstwhile boxer, helium said helium has taken portion successful assorted forms of “noble antheral battle” successful his life.
Polish media person besides reported connected his connections to gangsters and the satellite of prostitution.
Tusk accused Law and Justice enactment person Jarosław Kaczynski of tapping Nawrocki contempt questions astir his past.
“You knew astir everything, Jarosław. About the connections with the gangsters, astir ‘fixing girls,’" Tusk wrote connected X. "The full work for this catastrophe falls connected you!”
1. Security and warfare successful Ukraine: With Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine successful its 4th year, Polish voters are acutely attuned to issues of determination security. Both candidates enactment continued backing for Ukraine, but to antithetic degrees. Nawrocki believes that Ukraine should ne'er articulation NATO, portion Trzaskowski believes Ukraine should beryllium allowed to articulation 1 time erstwhile the existent warfare is over.
2. Rule of instrumentality and democracy: Trzaskowski has pledged to enactment the restoration of judicial independency and repair relations with the EU, which viewed changes by Law and Justice arsenic anti-democratic. Tusk has tried to alteration immoderate legislation, but has faced absorption from the the outgoing president, Duda. Nawrocki, portion little outspoken than his enactment patrons, is seen arsenic apt to sphere Law and Justice’s changes that politicized the courts.
3. Women’s rights: Abortion remains a divisive contented successful Poland, particularly aft a near-total prohibition was imposed nether Law and Justice. Trzaskowski supports loosening restrictions and has backed proposals to legalize termination up to 12 weeks. Nawrocki opposes immoderate liberalization and has campaigned arsenic a defender of accepted blimpish values.
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