WARSAW, POLAND - MAY 31, 2025: Polish citizens will head to polls for the second round of the presidential election on Sunday, June 1. Poland is set for a high-stakes presidential runoff election on Sunday, June 1, with liberal Rafal Trzaskowski and conservative nationalist Karol Nawrocki facing off in a contest that could determine the country’s trajectory on key domestic and international issues. From relations with the EU to migration policy and security, voters are being asked to choose between two starkly contrasting visions for Poland’s future. According to latest opinion polls, the race remains neck-and-neck, with the result likely hinging on voter turnout and the choices of undecided citizens. Polish citizens aged 18 and above will vote on Sunday between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. (0500 GMT to 1900 GMT) to elect a successor for President Andrzej Duda, whose second and final five-year term ends in August. The first round of the presidential battle was held on May 18. Some 29.3 million people were eligible to vote in a country of 37 million, and the overall turnout stood at 67.31%. Trzaskowski narrowly led the first round with 31.36% of the vote, followed closely by Nawrocki at 29.54%. Since neither candidate secured more than 50%, a runoff was triggered. Poland remains one of Europe’s top refugee-hosting countries in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war. According to the UN Refugee Agency, the country currently has nearly 1 million refugees, most of them women and children. Both candidates support strong security measures, but differ on long-term migration policy and integration strategies. Economic pledges such as tax relief, lower energy costs, increased local investment, and protection for Polish farmers are also central to the campaigns. Meanwhile, the candidates’ opposing views on LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedoms, and Poland’s relationship with the EU may influence voters beyond traditional party lines. The question of whether Poland will embrace a liberal, pro-European path or pivot toward nationalist conservatism is also a crucial concern. Trzaskowski represents continuity with the current pro-EU government, while Nawrocki could usher in a return to more combative relations with Brussels.