Incumbent Polish President Andrzej Duda has won the Polish general elections, with the country’s National Electoral Commission saying he won 51.2 per cent of the votes—with opposition candidate Rafal Trzaskowski receiving 48.79 per cent of votes.
Results have come in from 99 per cent of polling stations, but the margin is sufficient for Duda, who was the conservative candidate, to call the election. The final results are expected by Tuesday.
Speaking to supporters polls closed on Sunday night, Duda said it was unprecedented to win a presidential election with a 70 per cent turnout. The results are not likely to go completely uncontested, however, as the opposition Civic Platform (PO) group, which backed Trzaskowski, told Reuters that it was collecting information on voting "irregularities"including reports of Poles abroad not receiving their voting packages in time to take part in the election.
The holding of the elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic was also considered a controversial move, with initial plans to have it in May shelved due to the risk. Plans to allow voters to vote exclusively by mail-ballot were also shelved, with the result being a hybrid elections, where those who chose to physically cast their vote could do so, while others mailed in their votes. The Civic Platform group has claimed irregularities in the mail-in ballot system.
The very close race reflected the deep cultural divisions in the country.
It followed a bitter campaign dominated by issues of culture in which the government, state media and the influential Catholic church all mobilized in support of Duda, a social conservative, and sought to stoke fears of Jews, LGBT people and Germans.
Duda, who is backed by the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party, campaigned on traditional values and expanding popular social spending policies in this mostly Catholic nation.
The party's policies, including hugely popular monthly cash bonuses of 500 zlotys ($125) per child to all families irrespective of income, have helped alleviate poverty in rural regions, and given all families more money to spend.
Duda also had strong support among older Poles after he and the party lowered the retirement age and introducing a yearly cash bonus called a 13th pension. Duda's supporters gave him and the party credit for making good on promises to reduce the economic inequality that came with the country's transition from communism to a market economy three decades ago.
There is a strong sense among their supporters that the economic help also restored a sense of dignity to their lives.
But the party has also stoked conflict with the European Union with laws that have given it vast new powers over the top courts and judicial bodies.
Its leaders have used rhetoric discriminating against LGBT people and other minorities, and the party has turned public television into a propaganda tool used during the campaign to praise Duda and cast Trzaskowski in a bad light.
With agency inputs