Azernews.Az

Centrist candidate Rafał Trzaskowski held a razor-thin lead over his populist opponent Karol Nawrocki in Poland’s presidential election, according to an exit poll released Sunday evening. The poll showed Trzaskowski with 50.3% of the vote compared to Nawrocki’s 49.7%.

However, with the poll’s 2-point margin of error, the outcome remains too close to call. A more accurate projection from IPSOS is expected by 11:30 p.m., while the official results are due Monday from the electoral commission.

A separate exit poll commissioned by right-leaning broadcaster TV Republika showed an even narrower margin: Trzaskowski at 50.17% and Nawrocki at 49.83%.

If confirmed, Trzaskowski’s win would be a significant political victory for Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his pro-European Civic Coalition, potentially paving the way for closer alignment with the EU after years of nationalist rule.

Despite the uncertainty, Trzaskowski took the stage as if the victory were his, telling a jubilant crowd: “I think ‘razor-thin’ is now officially part of the Polish lexicon.” He thanked voters and declared: “If everything is confirmed, we’ll get straight to work.”

Nawrocki, however, refused to concede. “We will win tonight,” he declared to cheering supporters, who chanted: “Karol Nawrocki, the president of Poland.” He emphasized the narrow margin and urged patience.

Nawrocki, backed by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party and supported by the Trump administration in the U.S., has vowed to take Poland in a more populist, Euroskeptic direction. In contrast, Trzaskowski has pledged to support the Tusk government’s stalled legislative agenda, currently obstructed by outgoing President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally.

According to Joanna Sawicka of Polityka Insight, even with the presidency, the coalition may struggle to pass controversial reforms like abortion liberalization due to internal divisions.

Nawrocki’s campaign has been marred by damaging reports about his past, including allegations involving prostitutes during his time as a hotel security guard, involvement in football-related violence, and a questionable real estate acquisition from an elderly woman.