The conservative nationalist Karol Nawrocki has won the Polish presidential elections. With all votes counted, the politician affiliated with the opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) has been declared the winner by the Polish electoral commission.
Exit polls showed a neck-and-neck race between Nawrocki and his opponent, the pro-European Rafal Trzaskowski, a member of the Civic Platform (PO) party led by current Prime Minister Tusk. Initially, Trzaskowski seemed to lead in the exit polls and claimed victory. However, later polls revealed a very close race, with Nawrocki even holding a slight lead.
Ultimately, Nawrocki emerged victorious with 50.89% of the vote, while Trzaskowski secured 49.11%. The voter turnout was nearly 72%, a historically high number for Polish presidential elections.
Nawrocki's victory is a significant setback for Prime Minister Tusk's government. Trzaskowski had campaigned on supporting Tusk's ambitions, but now Tusk will face a critical president in office. The Polish president holds veto power, allowing them to block legislation.
