Poland’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has selected Karol Nawrocki, a historian and current head of the Institute of National Remembrance, as its candidate for the 2025 presidential election. This move concludes a weekend during which Poland’s two largest political parties revealed their choices for the race to succeed President Andrzej Duda, whose final term ends in August 2025.
Nawrocki’s Profile and Vision
The 41-year-old Nawrocki has led the Institute of National Remembrance since 2021, overseeing research into crimes committed during World War II and the communist era. Prior to this, he served as director of the Museum of the Second World War in his hometown of Gdańsk.
Addressing supporters in Krakow, Nawrocki emphasized his connection to the Polish people and his commitment to their needs. “I am ready to become your president because I have been with you all my life. I understand your needs. Poland must be great to endure, and I will defend it,” he declared, presenting a vision aligned with Law and Justice’s patriotic, pro-Christian, and pro-NATO platform.
A Strategic Choice
Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński described Nawrocki as an independent, non-partisan candidate, a deliberate departure from more seasoned political figures like former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Kaczyński noted that many within the party were unfamiliar with Nawrocki, comparing this choice to the selection of Duda in 2015, which proved successful.
By choosing Nawrocki, PiS avoids drawing attention to corruption scandals from its years in power (2015–2023), which could have become central campaign issues had a higher-profile candidate been selected. Kaczyński had previously stated the ideal candidate would be “young, tall, impressive, handsome, family-oriented, fluent in English and other languages, and internationally savvy”—criteria Nawrocki seems to meet.
Opposition and the Race Ahead
The announcement came a day after the ruling Civic Coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk named Rafał Trzaskowski, the progressive mayor of Warsaw, as its candidate. The election is expected to be a closely contested race between Nawrocki and Trzaskowski, though other candidates, such as Szymon Hołownia, leader of the Poland 2050 party, and Sławomir Mentzen from the far-right Confederation party, are also in the running.
Law and Justice, which lost power in 2023, faces additional challenges due to penalties imposed by the state electoral authority for violating campaign funding rules in the last parliamentary election. These financial constraints could impact their ability to campaign effectively.
Election Timeline
The first round of voting is set for May 2025, though the exact date is yet to be announced. If no candidate secures over 50% of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates will occur two weeks later.
With Poland’s political future hanging in the balance, the election promises to be a pivotal moment, determining the trajectory of the nation in both domestic and international spheres.
