Polish Presidential Election: Pro-Trump Candidate Nawrocki Wins

Poland Prioritizes National Interests
Inevitable Changes in Relations with Europe

On June 1 (local time), Karol Nawrocki, an independent nationalist right-wing opposition candidate, was elected president in the Polish presidential election runoff.

Karol Nawrocki, right-wing opposition candidate in the Polish presidential election. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to AFP and other sources on June 2, the Polish National Electoral Commission announced that Nawrocki won the election with 50.89% of the vote. Rafal Trzaskowski, the candidate from the ruling party Civic Platform (PO), which has a pro-European liberal stance, received 49.11% of the vote.

This presidential election was essentially a showdown between the ruling party, which has sought to improve relations with the European Union (EU), and the nationalist right-wing opposition Law and Justice Party (PiS), which prioritizes Polish national interests. Although Nawrocki ran as an independent, he was supported by PiS.

Nawrocki, a conservative historian, argued that the Polish constitution should take precedence over European law and that Poland should withdraw from the European refugee agreement. He also pledged to actively cooperate with U.S. President Donald Trump to address security concerns, adopting anti-European and pro-Trump policies. Earlier this month, he attended the National Day of Prayer event at the White House, took a photo with President Trump, and used this image extensively during his campaign.

In the first round of voting held last month, 13 candidates competed, but since no candidate secured a majority, the top two candidates?Trzaskowski (31.36%) and Nawrocki (29.54%)?advanced to the runoff on June 1. Although Nawrocki trailed Trzaskowski by a small margin in the first round, he gradually closed the gap and ultimately won in the runoff.

AFP noted that the outcome of this election clearly demonstrates the polarization between NATO and European countries. With Nawrocki's victory, AFP predicted that most of the progressive policies pursued by the Polish government so far will be halted, and that relations between the EU and Poland may become strained.