Poland’s pro-EU government suffered a setback when a nationalist candidate supported by Donald Trump defeated the centrist mayor of Warsaw in the country’s presidential election.
Based on statistics from 100 percent of precincts provided by the electoral commission, Bloomberg News calculated that Rafal Trzaskowski received 49.1 percent while conservative historian and former boxer Karol Nawrocki received 50.9 percent.
After months of campaigning, the nationalist was able to overtake Trzaskowski’s sizable advantage in the polls.
With Trump’s tariffs and Russia’s eastern menace putting increasing pressure on the 27-member organization, the vote is likely to decide whether one of the EU’s fastest-growing economies and one of NATO’s largest defense spenders continues to be a trustworthy ally.
The small margin exposed the division that has engulfed the 37 million-person country, with voters severely divided on topics like abortion, migration, and European integration.
An early exit poll that put Trzaskowski ahead was rejected by Nawrocki. “We will wake up tomorrow with President Karol Nawrocki,” the nationalist declared to supporters just after Sunday’s polls expired.
After a brief visit to Trump in the Oval Office last month, Nawrocki was given assistance by the White House.
The U.S Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem encouraged Poles to support Nawrocki during a visit to Poland last week in order to guarantee that Poland maintains tight relations with Trump.
Outgoing President Andrzej Duda, a nationalist ally, has halted Tusk’s proposal. If he won, Nawrocki assured his fans, Tusk’s “monopoly” on power would be checked, which “takes away our great dreams and takes away our aspirations.”
The vote had essentially turned into a referendum on Poland’s future, covering issues such as women’s rights, national identity, its place in Europe, and its support for Ukraine, a neighbor.
Source: Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Aljazeera
