Karol without a crown: what is known about Poland's new president Nowrocki
On Sunday, June 1, the second round of presidential elections was held in Poland. According to the results of the vote count, Karol Navrotsky, a candidate from the Law and Justice coalition, won by a small margin. He beat the favorite, the current mayor of Warsaw and candidate from the ruling Civic Platform Rafal Trzaskowski. The biography of the new leader of Poland, as well as his position on Russia, Ukraine and Europe, is in the Izvestia article.
Second round of elections in Poland: results
On June 1, the second round of presidential elections was held in Poland. Two candidates participated in it: Karol Navrotsky from the opposition Law and Justice party and Rafal Trzaskowski from the ruling Civic Coalition. According to the Polish State Election Commission, Karol Nawrocki won with 50.89% of the vote, while 49.11% of citizens supported his opponent. At the same time, the exit polls on election day promised victory to Tshaskovsky with 50.3%.
Karol Navrotsky: what is known, biography
Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki was born on March 3, 1983 in Gdansk, he is 42 years old. In 2003 he graduated from the Higher School of Business and Administration in Gdansk, and in 2008 from the Institute of History of the University of Gdansk. In 2013, he received a doctorate in Humanities from the same university, specializing in the modern history of Poland. In 2023, he received an MBA degree from the Gdansk Polytechnic University.
Since 2009, he has been an employee of the Institute of National Remembrance, where in 2014-2017 he was the head of the Department of Public Education in Gdansk. Since July 2021, he has been the head of this institution.
The Institute of National Remembrance is a government agency that investigates crimes against Polish citizens in 1944-1990 and studies the activities of the state security agencies of Nazi Germany, Poland, and the USSR during this period.
At the end of November 2024, the Law and Justice Party supported Navrotsky as an independent candidate for the post of head of state due to the fact that, as president of the Institute of National Remembrance, he could not be a member of political parties.
Navrotsky's attitude towards Russia
Navrotsky, as a historian, was actively engaged in the topic of anti-communist resistance in Poland.
At the same time, in his interviews, Karol Navrotsky declared his readiness to sit down at the negotiating table with the President of Russia. He also noted that, despite Kiev's "indecent" behavior towards Poland, Ukraine should also participate in these negotiations with Russia.
It was Karol Nawrocki, as head of the INP, who initiated the demolition of many monuments to Soviet soldiers who died during the liberation of Poland from Nazi occupation during World War II.
"We will not stop until we get rid of all Soviet propaganda objects," he added, commenting on the demolition of another memorial site.
For this, he has been on the wanted list in Russia since February 2024. Law enforcement agencies reported that a criminal case had been opened against him.
What Karol Navrotsky stands for: Ukraine and the EU
The President-elect of Poland has repeatedly spoken about his views on many processes not only in the country, but also abroad. He opposes Ukraine's membership in the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He adheres to this policy, in particular, because of the unresolved issue of the Volyn massacre, namely the exhumation of its victims on the territory of Ukraine. He believes that a state that is unable to pay for a brutal crime against 120,000 of its fellow tribesmen cannot be part of international alliances.
The Volyn massacre took place in 1942-1943. Then the militants of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) killed about 100 thousand ethnic Poles living in Western Ukraine. Especially massive and bloody events took place on July 11, 1943, when numerous gangs attacked 150 villages at once.
In the context of Ukraine, Navrotsky also noted that his country provides Ukraine with enormous economic and military assistance, and therefore finds itself in a losing position.
"Polish farmers today face unequal competition from Ukraine. Polish transport companies face unequal competition from Ukraine. Let me remind you about the support that the Ukrainian refugees received from the Poles, about the actions taken by the Polish government that helped the Ukrainian army," he said.
In April 2025, Navrotsky stated that he was deeply disappointed with Vladimir Zelensky, because he underestimated the efforts of the Poles in helping Kiev.
"He behaved in a way that he should never have behaved towards the Polish state," the politician said in an interview with a Polish TV channel.
Because of his attitude to the conflict in Ukraine, Navrotsky promised not to send Polish soldiers to Ukraine, even at the request of US President Donald Trump.
In addition, he has already said that he will not allow the liberalization of trade between the European Union and Ukraine. Defending the interests of Polish entrepreneurs will come to the fore.
Regarding the EU, Navrotsky noted the weakness of the alliance: "The European Union today is weak and mired in chaos, as evidenced by the fact that negotiations with Russia are underway today without the participation of Europe."
Among his election promises was also a promise to prevent the country's transition to the euro and save the Polish zloty.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
