The victory of the nationalist and Eurosceptic Karol Nawrocki, supported by the opposition party "Law and Justice" (PiS), over the candidate of the ruling "Civil Coalition" Rafal Trzaskowski in the second round of the presidential elections in Poland is a leading topic in the world press, writes BTA.
The right-wing candidate secured a small lead in the late stage of the vote count in a stunning turnaround, after it initially seemed that his opponent was winning, notes the British newspaper "Telegraph".
The elections were contested, with US President Donald Trump also supporting one of the candidates (Nawrocki), notes in turn the American newspaper "Washington Post". The Polish vote was partly a referendum on the EU and on Trump, who invited the conservative candidate to the Oval Office, the publication notes.
The change in the results was a dramatic turnaround, after early exit polls had predicted that Trzaskowski would win by a margin of 0.6%. The liberal candidate even announced his victory on stage at his campaign headquarters, another British newspaper, the "Guardian", notes.
"This is a truly special moment in Poland's history. I am convinced that it will allow us to move forward and focus on the future," he said. But the celebration was premature, the "Guardian" points out. At his campaign headquarters, Nawrocki did not admit defeat and expressed confidence that he would win when all the votes were counted - and when the next data were announced, the forecasts really changed, the publication emphasized.
During a fierce election campaign, the two male contenders presented radically different views of Poland and the outcome of the race will have huge consequences for the country's political future, since the president has the right to veto, explains "The Guardian".
Trzaskowski, the pro-European and progressive mayor of Warsaw, supports liberalizing abortion laws and introducing civil partnerships for LGBT couples, the publication recalled. Nawrocki, a historian and former boxer, strongly rejects these steps and is likely to veto any attempts to implement them, the newspaper predicts.
Tusk's rule as Polish prime minister has already been marked by difficulties, which have been compounded by the fact that the president is his ideological opponent. A presidential veto can only be overridden by a 60% majority in parliament, which Tusk's government does not have, the Guardian newspaper notes.
"It will be worse than under Duda, as Nawrocki will come to power with a vote that has effectively become a referendum on the government," believes Alex Szczerbiak, a lecturer in East and Central European politics at the University of Sussex, quoted by the British publication.
Nawrocki's victory also gives new strength to "PiS", the Guardian points out. PiS MP and former education minister Przemysław Czarnek admitted in a television interview last night that his party may try to attract people from Tusk's "Civil Coalition" in order to create a new right-wing coalition in parliament.
The nationalist Nawrocki is a big fan of US President Donald Trump, opposes Ukraine's membership in NATO and condemns the aid provided to Ukrainian refugees in Poland, which has been at the forefront of support for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the Guardian points out.
The victory of the forty-two-year-old historian, who was elected to the head of the country with 50.89% of the vote, is the revenge of the "PiS" party, notes the French newspaper "Le Monde". The party that supported him was defeated in the parliamentary elections in October 2023 by the center-right coalition led by former European Council President Donald Tusk.
Now the prime minister can expect a much more difficult understanding than with the current president Andrzej Duda, believes "Monde".
"Nawrocki is a doctrinaire, he is ready and has said so: his main mission will be to block Tusk's government," warned political scientist Wawryniec Konarski before the elections, recalls the French newspaper "Monde".