Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist candidate who enjoyed the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, has narrowly emerged as the president of Poland, dealing a heavy blow to the pro-EU government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Final results show Nawrocki, representing the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, claimed 50.89% of the vote, edging out liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who came second after securing 49.11%.
Early polling had placed Trzaskowski in the lead.
Nawrocki will replace outgoing conservative Andrzej Duda, who also defeated Trzaskowski in 2020 by a narrow margin. The presidency, though less powerful than parliament, holds key veto authority, which Duda used to block several of Tusk’s reforms.
Nawrocki’s victory raises serious questions about Poland’s future ties with Brussels and Kyiv. His Eurosceptic stance threatens to stall or reverse recent progress made by Tusk’s coalition, which had restored relations with the EU and unfrozen €137 billion in withheld funds.
The result, closely watched across Europe, the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia, signals a volatile shift in Warsaw’s political direction. Poland, home to 37 million and the EU’s sixth-largest economy, was the bloc’s top fund recipient in 2024. That could now be at risk.
“I’m confident that the EU will continue its very good cooperation with Poland. We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Mondayon the X social media platform. “So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home.”
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