Who is Karol Nawrocki? Conservative leader set to become Poland’s new president

Conservative Karol Nawrocki is set to become Poland’s new president after winning the weekend polling with 50.89 per cent of the votes in a very tight race against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.

Donald Trump had backed Karol Nawrocki, making it clear that he wanted him as the president of Poland. (Reuters)

An early exit poll had suggested that Trzaskowski was headed to a victory. However, updated polling began to reverse the picture hours later.

With Nawrocki, who was backed by US President Donald Trump, Poland can be expected to take a more nationalist route, a report from The Associated Press said.

Nawrocki will succeed Andrzej Duda, a conservative whose second and final term will end on August 6.

In Poland, the majority of everyday power in the political system lies with the prime minister, chosen by the Parliament. But this does not mean that the president’s role is merely ceremonial. The president’s office can influence foreign policy and also veto legislation.

Who is Karol Nawrocki?

A 42-year-old historian and former boxer, Karol Nawrocki was taken in by the Law and Justice party as part of its push for a fresh start.

From 2015 to 2023, the party governed Poland, following which it lost power to a centrist coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

For the current elections, some political observers had forecast that the Law and Justice party would never make a comeback. Against this backdrop, the party decided to pick Nawrocki as the new face who would not be carrying any residue of burning scandals during the party’s eight years of governance.

Most recently, Nawrocki has been the head of the Institute of National Remembrance, which embraces nationalist historical narratives.

According to reports from the Polish media, as cited by AP, Nawrocki also helped topple monuments to the Soviet Red Army in Poland, and Russia hit back by putting him on a wanted list.

Nawrocki’s supporters and followers described him as the ’embodiment of traditional, patriotic values’. People who oppose secular trends, including LGBTQ visibility, have leaned towards him and viewed him as a reflection of the traditional values they grew up with.

Meanwhile, a common refrain from Nawrocki’s supporters is that he will restore “normality”, as they believe Donald Trump has done.