The second round of the Polish presidential elections took place on 12 July, with the incumbent President Andrzej Duda (Law and Justice Party) facing centrist Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski (Civic Platform).

Polls ahead of the voting day predicted a tight race, and this didn’t change when all polling stations were closed: President Duda got 51,21% of the votes, leaving Trzaskowski with 48,79%. This means President Duda and his Law and Justice Party will remain in power for the five coming years.

This election also highlighted a gap in voting behavior based on age and geographical location. While Duda gained support in the Southeast and rural parts of Poland, Trzaskowski’s voters were located in cities and the Northwest. Moreover, younger people (+60% support in age group 18-39) seem to have voted for Trzaskowski while Duda was supported by older generations (+60% support in age group 60+).

While the Law and Justice Party remains in power, it is clear that Poland’s younger generation is ready to make a change. ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen commented that the end result shows that there is hope for a more liberal, freer and democratic Poland in a European context.

https://twitter.com/hansvanbaalen/status/1282675309360427011?s=20