TWTW Note

CWA # 1684
TWTW Note
Poland’s Presidential Elections:
No clear winners, yet
The World This Week #312 Vol 7, No 21, 25 May 2025

Farhaz Rashid Ahmed
25 May 2025

Photo Source: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

The following note was first published as a part of The World This Week #312 Vol 7, No 21, 25 May 2025 

Poland’s Presidential Elections:
No clear winners, yet
Farhaz Rashid Ahmed

What happened?
On 20th May, the National Electoral Commission of Poland announced the results for first-round of presidential elections, held on May 18. Rafał Trzaskowski, the incumbent Mayor of Warsaw from the centrist-Civic Coalition (KO) led with 31.36 per cent votes, while, the independent candidate Karol Nawrocki backed by the nationalist-Law and Justice party (PiS) followed closely with 29.54 per cent, followed by far-right candidates Sławomir Mentzen and Grzegorz Braun gaining significant support, both receiving about 20 per cent of the total votes collectively. As no candidate could achieve 50 per cent, a second-round of elections would be held on 1 June.

What is the background?
First, the presidential electoral system in Poland. The citizens vote directly to choose their president for a five-year term. The President can serve maximum two terms. The presidency is key to powers such as legislative veto, overseeing military and judicial appointments making it important in Poland’s governance.

Second, a brief note on the contestants and their political agenda. RafaÅ‚ Trzaskowski, a pro-European Civic Coalition (KO) candidate with background in EU politics and experience as Warsaw’s mayor, has advocated for liberal values such as LGBTQ+ rights, thus, drawing criticism from conservative regions. Karol Nawrocki, an independent backed by Justice and Law party (PiS) campaigns on nationalism, tax cuts, lower energy costs and resistance to the EU’s policies on climate and assertive stance on Ukraine.
 
Third, a brief note on recent presidential elections in Poland. The elections have been dominated by right-leaning nationalist-Law and Justice party (PiS) and pro-EU centrist-Civic Coalition (KO), winning thrice and once, respectively. In 2005, PiS’ Lech KaczyÅ„ski won, defeating current Prime Minister Donald Tusk with 54.05 per cent in second-round. In 2010, BronisÅ‚aw Komorowski won from Civic Platform (PO) that is a member of current KO coalition, defeating PiS’ JarosÅ‚aw KaczyÅ„ski with 53.01 per cent in second-round, embarking it as the last non-PiS party’s win in Poland’s presidential election. While, in 2015 and 2020, the outgoing President Andrzej Duda got elected, 51.05 and 51.03 per cent, respectively.

Fourth, the electoral issues in Poland.  Concerns related to independence of the judiciary, economic issues like inflation and energy costs and social divisions over issues of abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of media had dominated the electoral issues. With Poland sharing borders with Belarus and Ukraine, concerns related to national security and foreign policy were also seen as key electoral issues. While, centrist-KO promotes institutional reforms and closer ties with EU and NATO on various aspects; nationalist-PiS narratives emphasize defence autonomy and nation’s security.

What does it mean?
This election has crucial importance in deciding Poland’s future, with a clear difference between Trzaskowski’s pro-EU liberalism and Nawrocki’s nationalist-PiS-backed agenda. KO’s win could unlock withheld European Union (EU) Recovery Funds, bring judicial reforms and align Poland more closely along policies of the EU, such as on climate issues and Ukraine. It would be the first time since 2015 that both parliament and president aligned politically, enabling major reforms on liberal values. Narwocki’s win on the other hand would mean moretax cuts and energy reforms.
 

About the author 
Farhaz Rashid Ahmed is enrolled at the Department of International Relations, Peace & Public Policy, St Joseph’s University, Bangalore.

PREVIOUS COMMENTS

February 2026 | CWA # 1959

Yesasvi Koganti | Yesasvi Koganti is an undergraduate student from Madras Christian College, Chennai.

UK and China
February 2026 | CWA # 1957

R Preetha | R Preetha is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

The India–US interim trade framework
February 2026 | CWA # 1956

Lekshmi MK | Lekshmi MK is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

End of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1931

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1924

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1801

R Preetha

28 August 1963
TWTW note
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1778

Lekshmi MK

28 July 1914
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
NIAS Global Politics Database
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
NIAS Global Politics Database
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1189

Hoimi Mukherjee | Hoimi Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science in Bankura Zilla Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith.

Chile in 2023: Crises of Constitutionality
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1187

Aprajita Kashyap | Aprajita Kashyap is a faculty of Latin American Studies, School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi.

Haiti in 2023: The Humanitarian Crisis
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1185

Binod Khanal | Binod Khanal is a Doctoral candidate at the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.

The Baltic: Energy, Russia, NATO and China
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1183

Padmashree Anandhan | Padmashree Anandhan is a Research Associate at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangaluru.

Germany in 2023: Defence, Economy and Energy Triangle
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1178

​​​​​​​Ashok Alex Luke | Ashok Alex Luke is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at CMS College, Kottayam.

China and South Asia in 2023: Advantage Beijing?
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1177

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri | Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.

China and East Asia
The War in Ukraine
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
IPRI Quarterly Forecasts I Triggers, Trends, and Trajectories
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
Europe: Heatwaves, Wildfires, Droughts, and Ice Melt in Alps
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
NIAS Africa Weekly
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
The World This Week: 150th Issue
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
Pakistan Reader
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
Science, Technology and International Relations
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu

Nepal
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

The Maldives
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

India
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Bangladesh
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Afghanistan