Poland to vote on two different paths for their country

When Poles vote in Sunday’s presidential election, they will be choosing between two different paths for their country. Opinion polls show liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, an ally of the ruling coalition, as a probable winner, but that would most likely occur after a runoff due on June 1. Polling in second is amateur boxer and conservative historian Karol Nawrocki, who is backed by the nationalist opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, while third place goes to far‑right candidate Slawomir Mentzen. Both are fans of Trump, with his Make America Great Again movement, and share an anti‑immigration stance as well as a crusade against so‑called "woke" liberal values. The election to replace nationalist ally Andrzej Duda comes amid a surge in nationalism in Central Europe, fanned by concerns over living costs, migration and security threats from Russia. After nearly three years of war in Ukraine, the top candidates have all touted their credentials as wartime leaders. Filip Pazderski, an analyst at the Stefan Batory Foundation in Warsaw, says the leading candidates differ on security issues: "The win of Rafal Trzaskowski would actually support current government policy when it comes to strengthening our European relations, when it comes supporting the idea of creating or strengthening the common European defence system as well." "If Mr. Karol Nawrocki wins, we can expect that they will try to strengthen relations between Poland and the USA." "However, the question is to what extent they can be effective in that..." The first-place Trzaskowski looks likely to beat back nationalist rivals, in part thanks to his shift towards the right to win over more conservative votes. He is polling at around 32%, a roughly eight‑point lead over Nawrocki. Despite the lead, Trzaskowski could struggle in a runoff against Nawrocki, political observers say. (Reuters)