A Conservative nationalist who has made Holocaust revisionism part of his campaign has won Poland’s presidential election.
Karol Nawrocki, a historian who has led attempts to rewrite Poland’s role in the Holocaust, narrowly defeated Rafał Trzaskowski, the liberal-centrist mayor of Warsaw, who was viewed as Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s favoured candidate.
Nawrocki had the support of US President Donald Trump, and was backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party that led Poland from 2015 to 2023.
Nawrocki has been head of the Institute of National Remembrance, which alongside the Law and Justice party has promoted historical narratives about Polish victimhood and resistance to the Nazis.
The organisation has also attempted to delegitimise research on Polish antisemitism or on Poles who killed Jews in the Shoah.
Nawrocki won 50.89% of votes in Sunday’s election, while Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%.
Far-right candidate Grzegorz Braun, whose supporters backed the victor in the runoff vote had previously asked what would be done about the “Judaization” of Poland.
Nawrocki told Braun there was a need to fight “all the disgusting attacks” on Poland by Holocaust scholars.
Presidents have a limited governmental role in Poland, where power is dominated by parliament and the prime minister.
But they can influence historical research by signing off on awarding professorships.
