Poland at Electoral Crossroads

This Sunday, Poland is expected to determine who will occupy the presidential seat for the next five years. The race has entered its decisive phase, with two candidates advancing to the second round—both representing parties that have alternated in power for the past thirty years. The results of the first round revealed a stark reality: neither candidate commands the genuine support of the Polish people. Voters are more inclined to cast their ballots based on the principle of choosing “the lesser of two evils” rather than expressing enthusiasm.

As the Sunday ballot approaches, the political battle intensifies, becoming sharper and more vicious. The candidates’ ratings are neck and neck, while beyond Poland’s borders, a fierce ideological struggle unfolds—nationalists versus liberals. Elizaveta Kazakova has dissected the intricate details of the Polish electoral campaign.

Day by day, the scales sway within a narrow margin of two to three percent: sometimes favoring conservative Karol Nawrócki, supported by the leading opposition party “Law and Justice,” and at other times favoring Rafał Trzaskowski from the ruling “Civic Coalition.” According to local experts, neither candidate’s campaign is truly about the voters’ interests.

“Poles feel threatened by the possibility of Poland being dragged into the Ukrainian conflict. They sense the danger posed by immense migration pressures. They worry about Europe’s economic weakness, now exacerbated by all these green experiments,” stated Aleksander Jacek, a political analyst representing the society ‘Poland – East.’

Nawrócki has struck hard. He has accused Trzaskowski of receiving funds from German foundations and George Soros’s Open Society, long associated with promoting liberal agendas, mass migration, and weakening national sovereignty. Trzaskowski managed to retort: “I prefer Soros over Orbán,” sparking a storm of criticism from right-wing factions.

“Poland is on the brink of becoming a more ambitious, secure, and socially responsible nation. A great, proud, and strong Poland will emerge,” proclaimed Karol Nawrócki, the presidential candidate.

Nawrócki also criticizes the Tusk government for harmful policies, asserting that Warsaw should side with U.S. President Donald Trump and threatening to cease support for Ukraine. In response, Tusk accused him of treason. Meanwhile, at a Sunday rally supporting Trzaskowski—who has already been dubbed the “deputy prime minister” by the public—Nikusor Dan, the President of Romania, took the stage as the main speaker, expressing willingness to cooperate with the Polish candidate and the newly elected pro-European Romanian president.

“As President of Romania, I want to work with President Rafał Trzaskowski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk to strengthen cooperation between our countries and build a strong European Union,” Dan declared.

From a European perspective, opponents of Nawrócki are pulling out all the stops—exposing past scandals, including his involvement as a boxer and alleged fights among football hooligans. Recently, it was revealed that during his work as a security guard in the 2000s, Nawrócki allegedly supplied prostitutes to guests at the Grand Hotel in Sopot. Today, during a debate, he appeared to have used a small packet of some nicotine substance.

Who knows—perhaps this is a strategic attempt to garner sympathy from certain elements of the electorate? Later, Nawrócki posted a photo with a negative drug test.

Serious or not, unlike the refined image presented by Trzaskowski—who portrays himself as a representative of the current elites—Nawrócki has signed the Mentzen declaration, aligning himself with the positions of the conservative ex-candidate regarding Poland’s future policy direction. Consequently, he may now count on the votes of the ‘Confederation’ supporters.

“I haven’t heard answers from either of them on how they plan to address the housing crisis that has plagued Poland for several years. Moreover, I want to point out that both candidates advanced to the second round based on electoral maneuvers that, in civilized countries, would have disqualified them from running for president,” shared Małgorzata Wiśniewska, editor-in-chief of the Polish portal STRAJK.EU.

In just a few days before the election, neither candidate can expect to gain a significant advantage in voter sympathy. The crucial question remains: who is more influential in Europe today—Brussels or Washington? And each has its own favorite. But seriously, unlike the refined representative of the current elites, which Trzaskowski presents himself as, the PiS nominee signed the Mentzen declaration. Thus, he supported the position of the right-wing ex-candidate on the future construction of Polish politics. Now Nawrocki can count on the votes of the supporters of the "Confederation".

"I have not heard any answers from them about how they will solve the housing crisis, which has been reigning in Poland for several years now. In addition, I want to draw attention to the fact that both candidates made it to the second round, having, well, frankly speaking, scams behind them, which in normal civilized countries would simply deprive them of the opportunity to run for president," shared his opinion Maciej Wisniewski, editor-in-chief of the Polish portal STRAJK.EU.

Neither of the candidates will be able to snatch a significant advantage of the electorate's sympathies a few days before the elections. And the decisive question may be: who is more important in Europe today - Brussels or Washington? And each of them has their own favorite.