Poles rally behind competing candidates and visions as presidential runoff nears

Poles gathered in Warsaw for dueling patriotic marches ahead of the June 1 presidential runoff, a tight race between liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and conservative historian Karol Nawrocki. Trzaskowski, supported by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro‑European Civic Coalition, backs abortion rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion, while Nawrocki, endorsed by the nationalist Law and Justice party and recently pictured with Donald Trump, champions conservative and patriotic values. Both are vying for votes from hard‑right libertarian Sławomir Mentzen’s supporters. The runoff follows a first round where neither secured a majority. With the race too close to call, the election outcome will shape Poland’s future ties with the EU and democratic institutions.