Poles vote for a new president in a pivotal runoff election

Poles vote for a new president in a pivotal runoff election World Jun 1, 2025 1:17 PM EDT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poles were voting Sunday in a decisive presidential runoff that could set the course for the nation’s political future and its relations with the European Union.

The contest pits Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, a liberal pro-EU figure, against Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party.

The outcome will determine whether Poland takes a more nationalist path or pivots more decisively toward liberal democratic norms. With conservative President Andrzej Duda completing his second and final term, the new president will have significant influence over whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist government can fulfill its agenda, give