Polish conservative Karol Nawrocki wins presidential election to succeed Duda

Poland has elected Karol Nawrocki, a blimpish backed by President Donald Trump, successful the country’s statesmanlike runoff election, according to a last ballot number issued Monday. 

Nawrocki won 50.89% of the vote, gaining a constrictive triumph implicit wide Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%, the Associated Press reported. 

The archetypal circular of voting 2 weeks agone revealed heavy divisions successful the state on the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union. Nawrocki volition win Andrzej Duda, a blimpish whose 2nd and last word ends connected Aug. 6. 

Trzaskowski conceded decision and congratulated Nawrocki connected Monday, thanking each those who voted for him. 

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Presidential campaigner Karol Nawrocki arsenic helium arrives astatine his office aft the statesmanlike predetermination runoff successful Warsaw, Poland, connected Sunday, June 1, 2025.  (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

"I fought for america to physique a strong, safe, honest, and empathetic Poland together," helium wrote connected X. "I’m atrocious I wasn’t capable to person the bulk of citizens of my imaginativeness for Poland. I’m atrocious we didn’t triumph together."

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem past week stumped for Nawrocki astatine the Conservative Political Action Conference successful Warsaw, wherever she besides slammed "weak" European leaders who she argued person allowed wide migration of having "destroyed their civilizations." Noem praised Poland’s strict borderline enforcement, informing that "socialists" similar Trzaskowski would instrumentality specified protections distant from the Polish people. 

Trump hosted Nawrocki astatine the White House successful aboriginal May during the blimpish candidate's campaign. 

Under the Polish constitution, the president serves a five-year word and whitethorn beryllium re-elected once. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the leaders offering their congratulations to Nawrocki connected Monday morning. 

"Poland, which preserves the spot of its nationalist tone and its religion successful justice, has been and remains a pillar of determination and European security, and a beardown dependable defending state and dignity for each nation," Zelenskyy wrote. "By reinforcing 1 different connected our continent, we springiness greater spot to Europe successful planetary contention and bring the accomplishment of existent and lasting bid closer. I look guardant to continued fruitful practice with Poland and with President Nawrocki personally." 

Presidential campaigner Karol Nawrocki greets supporters astatine his office aft the statesmanlike predetermination runoff successful Warsaw, Poland, connected Sunday, June 1, 2025.  (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

The U.S. has astir 10,000 troops stationed successful Poland and Noem suggested that subject ties could deepen with Nawrocki arsenic president. A communal refrain from Nawrocki's supporters is that helium volition reconstruct "normality," arsenic they judge Trump has done. U.S. flags often appeared astatine Nawrocki's rallies, and his supporters believed that helium offered a amended accidental for bully ties with the Trump administration.

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Nawrocki, a 42-year-old amateur boxer and historian, has besides echoed immoderate of Trump's connection connected Ukraine. He promises to proceed Poland's enactment for Ukraine but has been captious of Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking vantage of allies. He has accused Ukrainian refugees of taking vantage of Polish generosity, vowing to prioritize Poles for societal services specified arsenic wellness attraction and schooling.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who shares Nawrocki's nationalist blimpish worldview, hailed Nawrocki's "fantastic victory."

Presidential campaigner Karol Nawrocki, a blimpish historiographer backed by the right-wing Law and Justice enactment addresses supporters astatine his office aft the statesmanlike predetermination runoff successful Warsaw, Poland, connected Sunday, June 1, 2025.  (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered measured congratulations, emphasizing continued EU-Poland collaboration rooted successful shared antiauthoritarian values: "We are each stronger unneurotic successful our assemblage of peace, democracy, and values. So fto america enactment to guarantee the information and prosperity of our communal home."

Nawrocki's triumph is simply a comeback for the Law and Justice party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, erstwhile it mislaid powerfulness to Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist coalition. 

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Duda's veto powerfulness has been 1 obstacle to the pro-European Union Tusk successful fulfilling definite electoral promises, specified arsenic loosening restrictions connected termination oregon passing a civilian concern instrumentality for same-sex couples. Some observers successful Poland person said the unfulfilled promises could marque it much hard for Tusk to proceed his word until the adjacent parliamentary predetermination scheduled for precocious 2027, peculiarly if Law and Justice dangles the imaginable of aboriginal practice with conservatives successful his coalition.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.