UPDATE: Karol Nawrocki has won the presidency of Poland.
Nawrocki won 50.89% of the vote, narrowly defeating his liberal, pro-EU rival Rafal Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%.
Nawrocki presented himself as a champion of traditional Polish values, aligning with US President Donald Trump and resisting the globalism of the European Union.
Original story follows:
Polish nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki edges close to victory in Poland’s closely watched presidential runoff where he is neck-and-neck with liberal contender Rafał Trzaskowski by the narrowest of margins.
Initial exit polls had indicated a slight lead for Trzaskowski, backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government, but projections swung in Nawrocki’s favor late Sunday.
The election is on a knife’s edge Sunday night and many outlets are saying the results are too close to call. Exit poll results suggested a razor-thin margin between the two remaining candidates, and the final votes are still to be counted. Initial figures showed Trzaskowski slightly ahead, while later projections indicated a lead for right-wing contender Karol Nawrocki.
The first exit poll, conducted by Ipsos Poland and released as voting ended at 9 p.m. local time, showed Trzaskowski with 50.3 percent of the vote and Nawrocki with 49.7 percent—well within the survey’s 2 percent margin of error. Trzaskowski took the stage in Warsaw shortly afterward. “We’ve won!” he said to a cheering crowd. “This is truly a special moment in Poland’s history. I am convinced that it will allow us to move forward and focus on the future."
A second round of data, combining exit polls with some early official results and released roughly two hours later, showed the race shifting. The updated figures put Nawrocki in the lead with 50.7 percent, ahead of Trzaskowski at 49 percent.
Speaking at his campaign headquarters, Nawrocki told supporters he was optimistic about the final outcome, expressing confidence that he would emerge as the winner once all votes were tallied.
The contest reached a runoff after no candidate secured a majority in the first round two weeks ago.
