Poland to hold presidential election on May 18, says lower house speaker

2025-01-08 14:05 update: 2025-01-08, 16:15
Photo PAP/Marcin Obara
Photo PAP/Marcin Obara
Poland's presidential election will take place on May 18, the speaker of the Sejm, lower house of parliament, has announced.

Szymon Holownia added on Wednesday that the second round, it necessary, would be held on June 1.

The election will be formally announced next Wednesday, January 15, and only then will the election campaign begin, according to Holownia. 

This date results from the constitutional provision, according to which elections cannot be held within 90 days after the end of the state of emergency. The state of natural disaster introduced by the government in connection with the September flood in south-western Poland was lifted on October 16, 2024, so the 90-day period expires on January 14, 2025.

The election campaign will formally begin after the Sejm speaker's decision has been published in the Journal of Laws.

The candidates, who have already announced their participation in this year's presidential election, are Rafal Trzaskowski, Warsaw mayor and a Civic Coalition (KO) candidate, National Remembrance Institute head Karol Nawrocki, supported by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, and Szymon Holownia, speaker of Poland's lower house, the official presidential candidate of two coalition government parties, his own centre-right Poland 2050 and pro-farmer Polish People's Party (PSL).

The New Left selected Senate Deputy Speaker Magdalena Biejat as the party's candidate. Far-right Confederation MP Slawomir Mentzen, MP Marek Jakubiak of the Free Republicans parliamentary circle and Marek Woch of Non-party Local Government Activists have also decided to run for president.

Poles will elect their next president for a five-year term. (PAP)
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