The European nation chooses between conservative historian Karol Nawrocki and pro-EU Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.
Poles are voting in a decisive presidential run-off that might have a serious affect on the nation’s future position within the European Union.
Polling started at 7am native time (05:00 GMT), with pro-EU Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski from the centre-right Civic Platform of the governing Civic Coalition going through off in opposition to conservative historian Karol Nawrocki, who’s backed by the right-wing Regulation and Justice (PiS) celebration.
The run-off follows a tightly contested first spherical on Might 18, during which Trzaskowski gained simply greater than 31 %, and Nawrocki gained almost 30 %, eliminating 11 different candidates.
The winner will succeed incumbent Andrzej Duda, the outgoing nationalist conservative president who was additionally backed by PiS and blamed for holding up justice reforms by utilizing his veto in opposition to Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist authorities.
The marketing campaign has highlighted stark ideological divides, with the result anticipated to find out whether or not Poland continues alongside a nationalist path or pivots extra decisively in direction of liberal democratic norms.
Trzaskowski, the 53-year-old son of a well-known jazz musician, has promised to revive judicial independence, ease abortion restrictions and promote constructive ties with European companions.
Nawrocki, a 42-year-old former boxer, who’s favoured by United States President Donald Trump, has positioned himself as a defender of conventional Polish values, and is sceptical of the EU.
Amid rising safety fears over Russia’s war on Ukraine, each the candidates assist assist to Kyiv, although Nawrocki opposes NATO membership for neighbouring Ukraine, whereas Trzaskowski helps it.
The 2 candidates have taken a equally hardline strategy to immigration, each utilizing anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, constructing on rising resentment amongst Poles who see themselves as competing for strained social companies with 1.55 million Ukrainian warfare refugees and migrants.
Whereas Trzaskowski has proposed that solely working Ukrainians ought to have entry to the nation’s baby profit, Nawrocki has gone additional, saying he would even be in opposition to Ukraine becoming a member of NATO and even the EU.
Polls shut at 9pm (19:00 GMT) when an exit ballot is predicted. Remaining outcomes are prone to be introduced on Monday.
