KAROL Nawrocki has been elected as Poland’s new president in a gargantuan blow to the reform agenda of the country’s pro-EU government.
The Trump-backed, right-wing historian with a hooliganism past won the election with a slim 50.89% of the votes on Sunday.
Supported by the nationalist-conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS), Nawrocki narrowly defeated Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.
EU chaos
Nawrocki’s slim victory indicates a clear resurgence for PiS, following their defeat in the October 2023 parliamentary elections, but it marks a devastating blow for the center-right coalition led by former European Council President Donald Tusk.
During the earlier tenure of PiS, relations between Brussels and Warsaw grew more strained due to a crackdown on human rights and a decline in adherence to the rule of law.
This met its boiling point, leading to the suspension of EU funds for Poland.
Tusk then attempted to restore relations when his government took power in 2023, but the past president from PiS Andrzej Duda got in the way, using his veto power as a weapon.
But it’s thought Nawrocki – an outspoken euroskeptic – will continue Duda’s efforts in fighting against EU federalist proclivity.
Adam Leszczyński, director of the Gabriel Narutowicz Institute of Political Thought, said: “[Nawrocki] will be much worse for Tusk than Duda.
“He is much more extreme in his views and he is coming into this presidency with a lot of resentment, after really getting a very personal beating from Tusk and his allies during the campaign.”
When dealing with EU affairs, it’s though Nawrocki will not shy away from confrontation and go fourth in criticising the European Commission.
Centrist European leaders were forced to congratulate Nawrocki on his win.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged the victorious Pole to “work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home [the EU].”
Poland’s own MAGA movement
The Polish vote also represents a victory for the Maga movement abroad.
It comes after other right-wing politicians almost imitating US President Donald Trump were defeated in elections around the world, like Canada.
Despite Nawrocki only meeting Trump briefly in the run-up to the election, some of the Republican’s top officials were sent to Poland for a Conservative Political Action Conference just last week.
There, US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem was clear in his support for him, urging Poles to “elect the right leader”.
And if Noem’s endorsement wasn’t clear enough, she described Nawrocki’s election rival Trzaskowski as an “absolute train wreck”.
A political historian at George Washington University said that the Polish result shows that “the far-right, anti-EU, pro-Trump forces are stickier and more entrenched than many observers assumed.”
Nawrocki will now join the likes of Hungary’s Viktor Orban – Europe’s longest-serving prime minister – who, like him, is a Trump ally and wanting re-election next year.
Ukraine questions
Unlike other eurosceptics in central Europe like Orban, Nawrocki supports giving military aid to help Ukraine in the bloody war with Russia.
But he also revealed prior to his win that he will oppose membership in Western alliances for Ukraine.
This view aligns with the falling support among Poles for Ukrainians, with the country having hosted more than a million refugees from across the border.
Nawrocki’s critics said he was fuelling unease over Ukrainian refugees at a time when the far-right is highlighting migration, the cost of living and security.
He cited his campaign slogan, Poland First.
“Let’s help others, but let’s take care of our own citizens first,” he said on social media in April.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared his hope that the two nations would continue their close partnership.
He wrote in a post on X: “By reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer.
“I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation with Poland and with President Nawrocki personally.”
Nawrocki’s turbulent past
A mere six months ago, Nawrocki was a fairly unknown name in the political world.
But in the run up to the election, the historian posted videos of himself at shooting ranges and boxing rings – cultivating a tough-guy image for voters.
The past two weeks have seen Nawrocki vehemently denying claims he has contacts in the criminal underworld – and that he got prostitutes to pretend to be guests at a luxury hotel.
But his campaign team were forced to admit that the new Polish leader did in fact engage in a bare-knuckle mass brawl between rival football hooligans in 2009.
Nawrocki is said to have had such huge loyalty to Chelsea football club he once had its logo tattooed on his chest, but was also a rabid supporter of local team Lechia Gdansk.
Its thuggish fans call themselves the “hooligans of the Free City”.
The amateur boxer told a debate when confronted over the brawl reports: “All my sports activities were based on the strength of my heart, the strength of my muscles, my fists.
“It was a fair competition, regardless of the form.”
Despite Nawrocki clarifying that he didn’t regret his actions, and even calling it an act of “noble combat,” fears loomed among supporters that the confession would cost him the election – but he was able to secure the win.
In another questionable act for a politician, last year Nawrocki was pictured with fellow Lechia supporter Patryck Masiak who has been to prison for abducting a woman.
MMA fighter Masiak is also facing additional court proceedings for participation in an organise crime group and pimping.
Szymon Jadczak, an investigative writer for the Wirtualna Polska news website, said: “These are ongoing accusations, and Mr Nawrocki does not deny his acquaintance [with Masiak].”
And adding fuel to the fire, local news site Onet published an investigation that accused Nawrocki of leading a double life and working as a pimp while working as a security guard at the Grand Hotel near Gdansk.
He denied the report and said he would sue Onet – but instead of using a 24-hour judicial process designed for fast rebuttal in elections, Nawrocki has chosen a standard libel case which could take years to reach a conclusion.
Nawrocki also reportedly obtained a flat from a disabled, elderly man in exchange for a promise that he would receive care for the rest of his life.
But the original flat owner was actually discovered to be living in a state care home with no assistance from the Polish president-elect.
Red-faced Nawrocki has since offered to donate the flat to charity.
PiS have dismissed negative press on Nawrocki as being political smears or “mistakes of youth” that require forgiveness.
Who is Karol Nawrocki?
POLAND has elected Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian and staunch nationalist, as its next president in a closely watched vote that signals a resurgence of right-wing populism in the heart of Europe.
Nawrocki’s victory underscores the enduring appeal of nationalist rhetoric among about half of the country.
The 42-year-old historian who had no previous political experience built his campaign on patriotic themes, traditional Catholic values, and a vow to defend Poland’s sovereignty against the EU and larger European nations like Germany.
His win also reflects the appeal of right-wing nationalism across Europe, where concerns about migration, national sovereignty, and cultural identity have led to surging support for right-wing parties.
Far-right candidates succeeded in Poland’s first round of voting two weeks prior, underlining the appeal of the nationalist and conservative views – with Nawrocki picking up many of those votes.
Although the electoral turnout was highest ever in history of presidential elections, Mr Nawrocki’s margin of victory is very small.
