Tens of thousands of people on Sunday attended rival rallies in Warsaw held by two candidates who will vie for the Polish presidency in June 1 runoff election.
One rally was head by Warsaw Mayor, liberal candidate Rafal Trzaskowski, 53, who is backed by the centrist government and is close ally of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The second rally was in support of far-right historian Karol Nawrocki, 42, who is backed by the nationalist Law and Justice, PiS party.
In his election campaign, Trzaskowski had voiced support for abortion and LGBT rights. His march held in Constitution Square on Sunday was attended by Romania’s pro-EU President-elect Nicusor Dan who bet a far-right nationalist candidate in election on May 18. Describing his rally as "March of Patriots”, Trzaskowski in his speech promised an inclusive Poland and addressed the country’s economic issues. Trzaskowski ran for president in 2020, losing to incumbent Andrzej Duda from Law and Justice party whose five-year term ends this summer.
Trzaskowski’s rival Nawrocki held a "March for Poland” rally in Waraw’s Old City. “I am a Pole who understands the hardships of everyday life. I stand before you and I am fully convinced that I am your voice,” Nawrocki told the crowd.
The runoff scheduled for June 1, follows the first round of presidential election on May 18, in which Trzaskowski and Nawrocki ran neck-to-neck, making it almost impossible to predict the outcome of the vote. According to recent polls, both men enjoy 47% support.
The highly-contested election is likely to determine Poland’s political direction and vision for the nation’s future.
