Nawrocki, backed by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party and also by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, aims to pull Poland away from the European mainstream in a more populist direction.
Trzaskowski has promised to work closely with the Tusk government, allowing it to push through a legislative agenda currently blocked by incumbent President Andrzej Duda, allied with PiS.
“With a president from the same camp, Tusk’s coalition could finally pass long-promised reforms, provided the four-party coalition can agree on them internally,” said Joanna Sawicka, a political analyst with Polityka Insight, a Warsaw-based think tank. “Key issues like abortion law liberalization may still face significant hurdles in parliament, even with the presidency secured.”
Nawrocki battled a cascade of revelations about his past ranging from accusations that he helped arrange prostitutes for guests of a luxury hotel while working as a security guard, to taking part in fights as a football hooligan and acquiring an apartment from a pensioner under questionable circumstances.
Conservative voters strongly backed Nawrocki, worried about Trzaskowski’s liberal record as mayor of Warsaw, where he supported LGBTQ+ rights and was out of step with the powerful Roman Catholic Church hierarchy.
The tight result of the election shows Poland’s deep political divisions — riven between the more liberal cities and conservative smaller towns and villages, between those who back the EU and those favoring a strong nationalist country, and between liberals and people hewing to traditional values and a strong role for the Roman Catholic Church.
