Poland Presidential Election (2025)

The 2025 Presidential Election in Poland was a general election held under a two-round system to elect a new five-year term president. The first round took place on Sunday, 18 May 2025. According to official results announced by the Central Electoral Commission (Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza – PKW), as no candidate secured an absolute majority in the first round, a second round was held on 1 June 2025. In the second round, Karol Nawrocki received 50.89 percent of the votes and was elected as Poland’s new president.

Warsaw Mayor and Civic Platform (PO) presidential candidate Rafal Trzaskowski during the night of the first round of the presidential election held in Sandomierz, Poland, on 18 May 2025 – Anadolu Agency

Overview of the Electoral Process

The 2025 Presidential Election was organized in accordance with the Polish Constitution and the Electoral Law. The fundamental framework of the election is based on the principle that the president is directly elected by the people through a two-round voting system for a five-year term. With the end of the current president Andrzej Duda’s term, the new electoral process was scheduled and conducted by the Central Electoral Commission (Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza – PKW).

Voting in the first round took place on Sunday, 18 May 2025, and in the second round on Sunday, 1 June 2025. Polling stations opened at 07:00 and closed at 21:00. In addition to domestic polling centers, voting was also made available at diplomatic missions abroad. Both rounds were conducted within the same time zone and under similar procedural arrangements.

As of 2025, approximately 29 million voters were registered in Poland. Voter turnout in the first round was officially reported at 64.5 percent. In the second round, 71.31 percent of eligible voters participated, marking one of the highest turnouts ever recorded for a second-round presidential election in Poland.

The electoral process was coordinated by the Central Electoral Commission. All technical aspects—including ballot security, vote counting, and data transmission to the central system—were carried out in full compliance with electoral legislation. National and international observers monitored the elections to verify transparency. Once vote counting was completed, the PKW officially published the final results to the public. Electronic data transmission systems and centralized monitoring mechanisms were utilized throughout the voting process.

Candidates and Political Landscape

Candidates and Political Profiles in the First Round

A total of 13 candidates competed in the first round of the 2025 Presidential Election. These candidates represented various segments of Poland’s political spectrum, emerging from different parties or independent platforms. The field included figures aligned with center-right, conservative, nationalist, social democratic, green, and independent positions. Some candidates were formally nominated by political parties, while others ran as independents supported by civil initiatives, trade unions, or civil society platforms.

Among the candidates were Rafał Trzaskowski, representing the center-liberal government bloc; Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition party; independent left-wing candidates focused on social justice; environmental policy advocates; and candidates from smaller right-wing parties emphasizing traditional values.

Presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, 13 May 2025 – Anadolu Agency

Candidates Advancing to the Second Round

The two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the first round were Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki. As neither surpassed the 50 percent threshold, they qualified for the second round held on 1 June 2025. Trzaskowski received 33.8 percent of the vote, while Nawrocki received 32.0 percent.

Rafał Trzaskowski ran as the candidate of the center-liberal Civic Coalition (Koalicja Obywatelska – KO). He is also a prominent pro-European figure and was endorsed by the government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Karol Nawrocki is the candidate supported by the nationalist-conservative Law and Justice Party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość – PiS). Although officially registered as an independent candidate, Nawrocki received explicit backing from PiS and its allied right-wing parties.

Rafał Trzaskowski has served as Mayor of Warsaw and previously held positions as a Member of the European Parliament and Deputy Minister for Digitalization. His expertise lies in European policy and public administration. Karol Nawrocki is known primarily as a historian and former head of the Polish National Remembrance Institute. Although he has no formal party membership, he has been active in public service and historical memory policies. Nawrocki, who also has a background as an athlete, has been involved in amateur boxing.

First Round Results (18 May 2025)

Vote Distribution and Candidate Ranking

In the first round of the 2025 Presidential Election held on 18 May 2025, no candidate achieved an absolute majority of 50 percent. According to official results published by the Central Electoral Commission (Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza – PKW), the two candidates with the highest vote shares were Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki. Trzaskowski received 33.8 percent of the total votes, while Nawrocki received 32.0 percent. Other candidates received the following percentages: Sławomir Mentzen 12.9 percent, Grzegorz Braun 8.5 percent, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz 4.6 percent, Robert Biedroń 3.3 percent, and Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk 2.9 percent. The remaining six candidates each received less than 2 percent of the vote. Approximately 64.5 percent of the 29 million registered voters participated in the first round.

Allegations of Russian Interference

As the 2025 presidential election process continued, statements regarding election security appeared in the Polish press and regional diplomatic sources. In an official statement by Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was indicated that content disseminated via Telegram on election day may have originated from Russian disinformation activities. Romanian users reportedly received a message purportedly sent on behalf of Telegram’s founder, alleging that Western European countries were attempting to censor conservative views.

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this message had the character of interference in the electoral process, and on 18 May 2025, the day it was published, it was described as “Russia’s influence on the elections.” On the same day, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement rejecting accusations of electoral interference and calling for respect for the democratic process.

The Process Leading to the Second Round

Following the first round held on 18 May 2025, the campaign for the second round between Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki commenced. Both candidates met voters in various cities across the country, held rallies, and shared their views on media platforms. The campaigns were conducted through television programs, field visits, social media posts, and local media interviews.

Some candidates eliminated in the first round did not issue public endorsements for the second round. The voting behavior of supporters of the right-wing bloc candidates was considered one of the decisive factors in the second round. The two remaining candidates intensified their efforts to persuade voters who had supported other candidates in the first round.

The main issues debated during the campaign were relations with the European Union, judicial reforms, abortion regulations, and migration policies. Both candidates presented their positions on these topics to the public, and these subjects were frequently raised on television and in public speeches. The debates were closely followed through media and digital platforms.

The Second Round Voting Process

The second round voting for the Polish presidential election took place on Sunday, 1 June 2025. Voting began at 07:00 local time and ended at 21:00. Voters cast their ballots at polling stations throughout the country and at diplomatic missions abroad. The voting process was conducted under the supervision of the State Electoral Commission (Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza – PKW) and organized by local electoral committees. Security measures were provided by local law enforcement, and observers were included in the process.

Karol Nawrocki celebrates his election victory, 2 June 2025 – (Anadolu Ajansı)

According to data released by the State Electoral Commission, voter turnout rates were recorded at 28.9 percent by 12:00, 55.9 percent by 17:00, and 71.31 percent at the close of voting at 21:00. This rate is among the highest ever recorded for a second round of a Polish presidential election.

Second Round Vote Distribution

Exit polls released by various media outlets and polling firms immediately after polling stations closed indicated a tie. Both candidates stated on social media on election night that they would await the official results and refrained from declaring victory before the State Electoral Commission announced the definitive results. The first unofficial results were released in the following hours, but the full official results were not announced until the morning of 2 June 2025.

After all votes had been counted, the State Electoral Commission (Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza – PKW) announced the final results in the early hours of 2 June 2025. According to the announcement, Karol Nawrocki received 50.89 percent of the votes and was elected President of Poland. Rafał Trzaskowski received 49.11 percent. The difference between the two candidates was determined to be 1.78 percentage points.

International Reactions

Various political actors internationally issued statements regarding the election results. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated Karol Nawrocki and characterized the outcome as a “great victory.” Czech opposition leader and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš also released a congratulatory message. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signaled that “good cooperation” with Poland would continue. Statements from the United States emphasized adherence to democratic procedures and affirmed that cooperation would persist.