Eurosceptic Karol Nawrocki has won the Polish presidential election with 50.89 per cent of the votes in a blow to Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Nawrocki, a historian and amateur boxer, campaigned on a promise to ensure economic and social policies favour Poles over other nationalities, including Ukrainian refugees.
He beat the liberal mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowski, a key ally of Prime Minister Tusk.
Nawrocki had been endorsed and championed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at last week’s Cpac conference.
The electoral commission in Warsaw said turnout was 71.31 per cent, a record for the second round of a presidential election.
Nawrocki, supported by the Law and Justice party (PiS), is expected to continue the policies of his predecessor, President Andrzej Duda.
Unlike other Eurosceptic leaders such as Orbán or Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Nawrocki supports giving military aid to help Ukraine in their war against Russia.
However, he will oppose membership in Western alliances for Ukraine, a position that seeks to chime with falling support for Ukrainians among Poles, who have hosted more than a million refugees from across the border.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Nawrocki with his win and said she was convinced the bloc could continue its “very good cooperation” with Poland.
She said: “We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values. So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home.”
More to follow…
