Poland’s two main political formations – Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s senior ruling Civic Coalition (KO) and the lead opposition Law and Justice party (PiS) – have confirmed their candidates for the upcoming presidential elections in mid-2025.

Following a primary election among KO members, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski has defeated Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski by securing an overwhelming 74.5%. The lead opposition PiS was quick to react by announcing their own candidate: Karol Nawrocki, a state institute historian and a political newcomer. Additional candidates in the race so far include Szymon Hołownia, the speaker of the lower house, Sławomir Mentzen, the leader of the right-wing opposition and economic libertarian Confederation, as well as Marek Jakubiak, a former PiS-linked MP.

The upcoming presidential election comes more than a year after three electoral coalitions (the Tusk-led KO, the centrist-liberal Third Way and the left-wing Lewica) scored a combined victory against the PiS-led United Right alliance. Accordingly, the electoral contest holds huge significance as the President – in addition to representing Poland abroad and holding the right to initiate legislation – has extensive veto powers in the country’s legislature. Poland’s outgoing President Duda – as a key PiS ally – has vetoed several pieces of legislation endorsed by the incumbent ruling coalition, including a proposed judicial reform, which remains a central part of the Tusk Government’s agenda for the current legislative term.

A PiS victory in the presidential elections could extend the protracted battles between parliament and the presidential office, with Nawrocki likely to extensively exercise his presidential veto powers if elected as head of state. Conversely, a KO win could ensure a smoother legislative process until the end of the current parliamentary term. Accordingly, the future of several policy proposals depends on the outcome of this crucial electoral contest.