Hundreds of thousands flooded the streets of Warsaw Sunday, rallying ahead of the presidential runoff between pro-European candidate Rafal Trzaskowski and conservative rival Karol Nawrocki next week.
Supporters of Warsaw Mayor Trzaskowski packed tightly in front of city hall, waving red-and-white flags and chanting, “All of Poland is for Rafal.”
Just 1.5 kilometers away at Charles de Gaulle Square, a sea of Nawrocki supporters echoed with chants of “Karol, Karol” and “This is Poland,” as loud music pulsed through the air.
The two candidates are locked in an incredibly tight contest ahead of the runoff, with the latest polls suggesting a tie at 47% each.
The election could have a decisive impact on Poland’s political future, with the presidency holding enough power to block Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s reformist agenda.
Trzaskowski, from Tusk’s Civic Coalition, finished first in last Sunday’s first round with 31.36% of the vote.
But he faces a serious challenge from Nawrocki, a historian backed by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, who won 29.54% of the vote in the first round.
Incumbent President Andrzej Duda, from PiS, has blocked many of the Tusk government’s bills with his presidential veto.
Both camps hope Sunday’s rallies will help tip the scales in their favor. Premier Tusk took to X to say that some 500,000 people attended the rally in support of Trzaskowski.
The Onet outlet estimated some 130,000 to 160,000 participants, citing aerial footage.
Nawrocki’s PiS party put the number of people at his rally at 150,000, while Onet said it counted 70,000.
Poland remains deeply divided, and the outcome of the vote is expected to significantly impact the EU and NATO member’s course both domestically and abroad.
If Nawrocki comes out on top, he is expected to continue his predecessor’s blockade, while Warsaw Mayor Trzaskowski is likely to clear the path for reforms initiated by Tusk, who lacks the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament to override a presidential veto.
“The president should work together with the government,” high school graduate Bartlomiej Morawiek, who traveled from Krakow to attend the rally for Trzaskowski, told dpa. “We want to have a future, and I see that in further integration with Europe.”
Attending the event for Nawrocki, Patryk Pilus covered his baby’s ears amid the loud music.
“I am against Trzaskowski because I don’t want all power to be in the hands of one political force,” said the 36-year-old programmer from Toruń.
Pilus said he is annoyed with the Tusk government for delaying important projects such as the construction of a nuclear power plant and a major airport.
He considers Nawrocki’s lack of political experience an advantage.
Nawrocki, 42, will be looking even further to the right ahead of Sunday’s election, after the first round of voting saw a surprising surge in support for two right-wing extremist candidates.
Slawomir Mentzen and Grzegorz Braun came in third and fourth place last Sunday with 14.8% and 6.3%, respectively. Although they were eliminated, they still may have a crucial influence on who wins in two weeks’ time.
Mentzen, a 38-year-old entrepreneur, has made his endorsement for the runoff conditional on a debate and policy commitments from the two remaining contenders.
Mentzen invited Trzaskowski and Nawrocki to debate separately on his YouTube channel, where he presented them with an eight-point plan for the candidates to sign.
The demands included pledges not to raise taxes, not to adopt the euro and not to deploy Polish troops to Ukraine. They must also refuse to approve laws that transfer powers from Polish government bodies to EU institutions.
While Nawrocki signed the plan, Trzaskowski engaged in a heated debate with Mentzen and refused to back the demands.
The Warsaw mayor said ruling out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO was out of the question for him: “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin only understands the language of strength. If Ukraine does not receive security guarantees, we will be next.”
While this means he has likely alienated Mentzen’s supporters, the pro-European candidate received support at his Warsaw rally from the recent winner of the presidential election in Romania, Nicușor Dan.
“The Romanian people have denied isolationism and Russian influence and opted for honesty, integrity and respect for the law,” said the future president, promising good cooperation with Trzaskowski.
Be First to Comment