Right Wing Euroskeptic Karol Nawrocki Backed by DJT Wins to Become President of Poland

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Right wing Euroskeptic nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki, supported by Donald Trump, narrowly won a runoff election against centrist Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski to become Poland’s next President.

The vote was 50.89% to 49.11%.

Nawrocki promised policies that put Polish people first over everyone else, including refugees from war-torn neighbor Ukraine. Trump hosted him in the Oval Office and made his support clear. Nawrocki’s campaign echoed right wing campaigns in the USA in many ways. His win portends challenges to the stability of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s governing coalition and divisions between Poland and the rest of the European Union.

Nawrocki opposes allowing Ukraine to join NATO. Trzaskowski support it.

The Presidency in Poland is mostly ceremonial, but can wield veto power over legislation. Tusk’s pro-EU coalition does not have a majority in Parliament to override a veto. This has been a problem for Tusk’s government with President Andrzej Duda, who will be replaced by Nawrocki. If Trzaskowski had won, he was much more aligned with Tusk’s coalition.

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