On May 18, Poland will hold the first round of its presidential election. It could prove to be a decisive election for Polish politics. Currently, the liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk is governing in cohabitation with President Andrzej Duda from the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS). The President holds prerogative over foreign and defence policy and has the authority to veto legislation passed by parliament. This often creates a deadlock situation and has led to obstruction of reform proposals on areas such as media freedom, abortion rights, and judicial independence.

Tusk’s candidate, the liberal mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski, is leading the polls. Should he win, it would break the deadlock and pave the way for liberal reforms of Polish society. But not only is the PiS candidate Karol Nawrocki hot on his trail – Sławomir Mentzen from the far-right Confederation party is also gaining traction.

What are the key lines of conflict in the Polish presidential election? How will the election shape Polish politics in the years to come? And what does election mean for Europe? Join us as we discuss these questions with Jakub Jaraczewski, Research Coordinator at Democracy Reporting International and internationally renowned expert on Polish politics and questions regarding the rule of law.