Poland presidential debate places Ukraine and Europe centre stage | Poland

Polish presidential candidates supplied completely different visions of Poland and its relations with Ukraine in a televised debate forward of subsequent week’s run-off, which stays on a knife-edge.

Throughout a head-to-head debate lasting two hours, the centrist Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, from prime minister Donald Tusk’s governing pro-European coalition, confronted the Eurosceptic historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the populist rightwing Regulation and Justice celebration (PiS).

The 2 candidates – who certified for the second spherical after coming within the high two locations within the first vote final Sunday – clashed over Poland’s relations with Ukraine, EU coverage, and the observe data of their respective events, which have dominated Polish politics since 2005.

Nawrocki – a conservative historian who it was revealed this week had been concerned in organised fights between teams of soccer hooligans in his youth – characterised the election as a referendum on an unpopular coalition authorities led by Tusk, repeatedly dismissing his rival as “Tusk’s deputy”.

The federal government got here to energy in late 2023 promising to undo intolerant reforms by rightwing predecessors and liberalise legal guidelines on abortion and LGBTQ rights, however has made little progress, fearing a veto from the outgoing conservative president, Andrzej Duda.

The problem has loomed over the presidential election, turning the poll right into a query of whether or not voters need to carry by with the political overhaul or desire an opposition president to maintain the federal government in test – even at the price of political paralysis.

Trzaskowski challenged Nawrocki’s makes an attempt to color himself as an impartial candidate regardless of being supported by PiS, which dominated Poland between 2015 and 2023.

“You say you’re not from PiS, however folks from PiS pay on your marketing campaign, organise it and lead it … There’s an English saying: if it seems to be like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck,” he stated.

Throughout tense exchanges on Friday night time, each candidates agreed on the necessity to assist Ukraine militarily in its combat in opposition to Russia. However they clashed over different components of the connection, together with Ukraine’s future Nato membership and the controversy over the import of cheaper agricultural items, which has led to anti-Ukrainian protests by Polish farmers.

Courting the rightwing voters of two far-right candidates who got here third and fourth, Nawrocki already stated this week that he would block Ukraine’s accession to Nato.

On Friday, he repeated his criticism of the farming preparations. “As a president, I’ll do the whole lot to essentially assist [Ukraine] militarily … however I can’t let [them] make Poland an auxiliary enterprise.”

Trzaskowski, a former EU lawmaker and junior minister, attacked him for “talking the language that favours Putin”, additionally citing his rival’s criticism of EU plans to spice up member states’ militaries. “We have to be robust with Ukrainians, defend Polish pursuits … however assist Ukraine, as a result of Putin has to interrupt all his enamel in Ukraine and never assault anybody else,” Trzaskowski stated.

Simply over per week earlier than the vote, the candidates remained nearly stage, with particular person polls exhibiting slender leads each methods throughout the margin of error.

Consultants stated voter mobilisation – with turnout already at a document excessive within the first spherical – might play a decisive function in deciding the result.

On Sunday, each candidates will lead rival marches throughout Warsaw, symbolically beginning concurrently on parallel streets however entering into reverse instructions.