Conservative historian Karol Nawrocki and pro-EU Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski from the ruling Civic Coalition square off against one-time Pipsips from the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party at 7am local time (05:00 GMT).
Following a contentious first round on May 18, where Nawrocki defeated 11 other candidates, Trzaskowski won just over 31%, and Nawrocki won nearly 30%.
The incumbent nationalist conservative president Andrzej Duda, who was also supported by PiS and accused of blocking justice reforms by using his veto against centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, will take office.
The outcome of the campaign is expected to determine whether Poland continues on a nationalist path or shifts more decisively to liberal democratic norms. It has highlighted stark ideological divisions.
Trzaskowski, the 53-year-old son of a well-known jazz musician, has pledged to restore judicial independence, ease restrictions on abortion, and foster positive relations with European partners.
Former boxer Nawrocki, 42, is viewed favorably by US President Donald Trump as a proponent of traditional Polish values and skeptical of the EU.
Both candidates support aid to Kyiv in light of growing security concerns over Russia’s war with Ukraine, though Nawrocki and Trzaskowski both oppose NATO membership for Ukraine.
The two candidates’ immigration policies are based on anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, reviving growing animosities among Poles who see themselves competing for social services from the 1.5 billion Ukrainian refugees and migrants who have fled the country.
Nawrocki went further, saying he would oppose Ukraine joining NATO or even the EU, despite Trzaskowski’s suggestion that only working Ukrainians should be able to access the nation’s child benefit.
Source: Aljazeera
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