Opposition candidate and nationalist conservative leader Karol Nawrocki has won the presidential election in Poland by a narrow margin in a closely contested race. The results announced on Monday are a major setback for the pro-EU government.
According to the election results released on Monday, Karol received 50.89 percent of the vote, while the ruling party candidate and Warsaw mayor liberal Rafal Trzaskowski received 49.11 percent of the vote. The election result indicates that Poland may take a nationalist path under the leadership of its new leader.
The outcome could lead to a political deadlock as Nawrocki could use a veto as president to thwart Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s liberal policy agenda. The Tusk government is trying to reverse judicial reforms carried out by the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government.