In Poland, the far right on the offensive two months ahead of the presidential election
In Poland, the far right on the offensive two months ahead of the presidential election
Polish far right picks up steam as presidential election approaches
With two months to go before the presidential election, polls show a rise in popularity for Mentzen, who is taking advantage of the weakness of his rival on the right, Karol Nawrocki, chosen by the PiS, but a newcomer to politics and little known to the general public. According to a Pollster Institute survey conducted from March 7 to 9, the Konfederacja candidate would narrowly beat his PiS opponent in the first round (22% vs. 21%) and could therefore face Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski in the second round. Backed by Tusk's Civic Coalition (KO), Trzaskowski is credited with 37% of the vote in the first round. In the 2020 presidential election, Konfederacja candidate Krzysztof Bosak obtained 6.8%.
"I remain cautious with polls," said political scientist Radoslaw Marzecki, professor at the University of the National Education Commission, Krakow. In the run-up to the 2023 parliamentary elections, Konfederacja had seen a surge in voting intentions, nearly reaching 15% in July 2023, only to secure just 7% at the ballot box three months later.
The far-right party made a real breakthrough in the June 2024 European elections, securing 12%. Of its six MEPs, three have joined the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group, where they sit alongside members of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Meanwhile, two sit with the Rassemblement National in the Patriots for Europe group, and one is in the non-attached group.
