Incumbent Andrzej Duda won the most votes in the first round of the Polish presidential election on Sunday, an exit poll showed, setting the stage for a tight run-off vote that may shape Poland’s relations with the European Union for years to come, Trend reports citing Reuters.
The re-election of government ally Duda, who would now face liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski in a run-off, is crucial if ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS) are to implement their conservative agenda, including reforms the EU says undermine the independence of the judiciary.
The president has the right to veto laws and Trzaskowski, the candidate of the largest opposition party, the centrist Civic Platform (PO), has vowed to stop reforms which he says erode democracy.
“I want to thank everyone for voting,” Duda told supporters after the exit poll was released.
Final voting results from the first round are expected later in the week.