Voters in Poland have been casting their ballots in the country’s presidential election – with the outcome believed to be on a knife-edge.
Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who is a liberal pro-EU candidate, is battling conservative historian Karol Nawrocki, who draws inspiration from Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
The vote is being closely watched in neighbouring Ukraine as well as in Russia, the European Union and the United States.
The result will mean Poland either cements its place in the EU’s mainstream or takes a more nationalist path like MAGA.
Mr Trzaskowski, from the ruling centrists Civic Coalition (KO), has a narrow lead in the opinion polls over Mr Nawrocki, who is backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS). But the lead is within the margin of error.
How do the candidates differ?
Mr Trzaskowski has said strong ties with both Brussels and Washington DC are vital for his country’s security, but Mr Nawrocki, who met President Trump in the White House in May, puts relations with the US first.
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Both candidates agree that Poland has to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion that started in February 2022.
But while Mr Trzaskowski sees Ukraine’s future NATO membership as key for Poland’s security, his election opponent recently said he would not ratify it as president, as this could draw the alliance into a war with Russia.
Mr Trzaskowski, 53, has vowed to restore judicial independence, ease abortion restrictions, introduce civil partnerships for LGBT couples, and promote better ties with European partners.
Mr Nawrocki, 42, has positioned himself as a defender of traditional Polish values, sceptical of the EU and aligned with US conservatives.
His supporters believe Mr Trzaskowski, with his pro-EU views, would hand over control of key Polish affairs to larger European powers like France and Germany.
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What happened in the first round?
The run-off follows a tightly contested first round on 18 May, in which Mr Trzaskowski won just over 31% while Mr Nawrocki got almost 30%, as 11 other candidates were knocked out.
With conservative President Andrzej Duda completing his second and final term, the new president will have significant influence over whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist government can carry out its agenda.
Parliament holds most of the power in Poland – but the president can veto laws.
The polls are due to close at 9pm local time (8pm UK time), with exit polls coming out soon after.
The electoral commission has said it hopes the final results will be announced on Monday morning or the afternoon.
