PiS Names Historian Karol Nawrocki as Presidential Candidate
Poland’s ruling conservative party, Law and Justice (PiS), has chosen historian Karol Nawrocki as its candidate for the 2025 presidential election. Nawrocki, 41, will aim to replace President Andrzej Duda, whose second term ends in August 2025.
Nawrocki, head of the Institute of National Remembrance since 2021, was selected over well-known figures like former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The decision mirrors PiS’s 2015 strategy, when they nominated Andrzej Duda, a lesser-known candidate at the time.
“I am ready to become your president. I understand Poles and their needs. Yes, I am one of you,” Nawrocki said during a speech in Krakow. He stressed his commitment to defending Poland’s strength and ensuring a great future for the country.
Kaczyński Explains Nawrocki’s Selection
Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński called Nawrocki an intentional choice as a non-partisan, independent candidate. “We needed someone not closely tied to our prominent activists,” Kaczyński explained, hoping to avoid scrutiny of PiS figures with government roles from 2015 to 2023.
Kaczyński previously outlined the party’s ideal candidate: youthful, charismatic, multilingual, and internationally experienced. Nawrocki fits this description while reflecting PiS’s core values—patriotism, pro-Christian views, NATO support, and alignment with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
The announcement follows the opposition Civic Coalition’s decision to nominate Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski. Despite other contenders, the presidential race will likely center on Nawrocki and Trzaskowski.
PiS, which ruled Poland from 2015 to 2023, faces challenges after losing state funding due to campaign finance violations in the 2023 elections. The presidential election’s first round will occur in May 2025. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff will take place two weeks later. Other contenders include Szymon Hołownia from Poland 2050 and Sławomir Mentzen of the far-right Confederation party.