The campaign for Poland’s presidential election, scheduled for 18 May, has officially started. This election is crucial for the ruling Civic Coalition, which seeks to pass its legislative agenda without opposition from the incumbent president, Andrzej Duda, who aligns with the rival Law and Justice (PiS) party.
According to the latest Opinii24 poll for RMF FM, Rafał Trzaskowski, the current mayor of Warsaw and Civic Coalition’s candidate, has the strongest chance of winning. However, his closest competitor is Karol Nawrocki, backed by the PiS and serving as president of the Institute of National Remembrance.
Trailing in third place is Sławomir Mentzen from the right-wing Confederation party, which identifies as national and patriotic. The main battle, however, is anticipated between Trzaskowski and Nawrocki. Trzaskowski narrowly lost to Andrzej Duda in 2020, with both candidates securing over 10 million votes—figures surpassed only by Lech Wałęsa in Poland’s history.
Eleven candidates are competing in the first round. Besides Trzaskowski and Nawrocki, the list includes Szymon Hołownia (Trzecia Droga), Magdalena Biejat (New Left), Sławomir Mentzen (Konfederacja), Marek Jakubiak (Wolni Republikanie), Marek Woch (Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy), Romuald Starosielec (Ruch Naprawy Polski), Piotr Szumlewicz (Związekkowa Alternatywa), Adrian Zandberg (Razem), and Katarzyna Cichos (Platforma Rozwoju Polski).
If no candidate secures a majority in the first round, a runoff election will take place on 1 June.
The President of Poland is chosen through direct, equal, and secret universal suffrage for a five-year term, with a maximum of two terms allowed.
