Poland determines the candidates for the second round of the presidential election
Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki advance to the second round of Poland's presidential election. None of the candidates secured a majority — the decisive vote will take place on June 1.
Photo: pixabay.com
The Polish National Electoral Commission announced the official results of the first round of the presidential election held on May 18.
The winner was the Civic Coalition candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 31.36% of the votes. In second place was the Law and Justice representative Karol Nawrocki with 29.54%. These two will face off in the final round of voting scheduled for June 1.
In third place was Sławomir Mentzen with 14.8%, followed by Grzegorz Braun (6.34%) and Szymon Hołownia (4.99%). None of the candidates managed to surpass the 50% threshold needed to win in the first round.
Voter turnout was high — 67.31%, surpassing the 2020 election result.
Before the decisive round, both front-runners are preparing for a televised debate scheduled for May 21. Trzaskowski has already confirmed his participation, while Nawrocki's team is still considering it.
The winner will be the one who receives a simple majority. The final results must be approved by Poland's Supreme Court.
It should be noted that Rafał Trzaskowski is the mayor of Warsaw, a politician from the liberal Civic Platform, and a two-time presidential candidate. He is a former MEP, minister and deputy minister, and a supporter of EU integration and LGBT rights.
Earlier it was reported that an unusual presidential debate was held in the Polish town of Końskie. Instead of a direct confrontation, Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki spoke in turn in different parts of the program. This format drew criticism — some candidates accused the organizers of bias and violating the principle of equal access.
It also became known that in Katowice, Polish presidential candidate and MEP Grzegorz Braun staged a controversial protest. He publicly removed the EU flag from a government building, wiped his feet on it, and set it on fire in front of bystanders, sparking outrage.