Andrzej Duda, the onset president of Poland, ends his second term in August Photo: Piotr Polak / Pap / Profimedia
Seventeen people have applied for the presidential elections in Poland, whose first tour will take place on May 18, the electoral commission indicated on Friday, before a decisive poll for the pro-European coalition, in the face of nationalist movements, AFP informs.
Friday is the last day of applying for the candidates. The final number of the candidates can be modified following the verification of the files by the electoral commission. Most likely, a second round will be needed for the president's election on June 1.
The Mayor of Warsaw, Vafal Trzaskowski (53 years old), the Civic Coalition (KO) candidate of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, is rated as a favorite, with 33-35% of the voting intentions in the first round, shows the latest polls. A victory of this convinced pro -European pro -European would put an end to a difficult cohabitation between the president and the government installed in December 2023.
The current president, the Conservatory Andrzej Duda, continues to block reforms that the government wants to implement to honor its promises and overthrow the previous nationalist executive decisions.
Following Trzaskowski, two Euroscepti disputes their second place and accessing the decisive tour.
Karol Nawrocki, 42, director of the Institute of National Memory and the candidate of the National Party Law and Justice (PIS), is credited with 19-23% of the voting intentions, while Slawomir Mentzen (38 years), the candidate of the Libertarian formation, is quoted with 17-19%. Both are admirers of US President Donald Trump.
Without questioning support for Ukraine in the war with Russia, the two do not hesitate to criticize the reception of almost one million Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
Among the candidates are Szymon Holownia, the president of the lower legislative chamber, supported by the third way (center-right, member of the coalition in power), with an 8% score in polls.
In Poland, the President's powers are limited, but he coordinates foreign and defense policy, and is the official head of the army. The president also has a legislative initiative and can be opposed by the law of the laws adopted by the Parliament.
Andrzej Duda will leave the position of president in August, after two term warrants.
