Presidential election in Poland: a new illustration of the rise of nationalism in Europe

The election of nationalist Karol Nawrocki to the presidency of Poland is worrying Europe, which sees it as a new surge in the sovereignist camp and a threat to the rule of law.

Europe is shaken by the presidential election in Poland, won on Sunday, June 1st by the nationalist candidate Karol Nawrocki . This is a new setback for the liberal camp, and a threat to the rule of law as it is defended today in Europe. This result represents a new domino falling in the camp of the nationalists . The scores of the extremes in Europe are increasing, and the countries that have tipped over are beginning to be counted on the fingers of one hand. Poland joins Hungary, which is the bridgehead of the movement with Viktor Orbán, as well as Slovakia and Italy, even if Giorgia Meloni is less Eurosceptic.

This European nationalism is defined by authoritarian management, a sovereignist vision, the rejection of support for Ukraine, and a radically reactionary social policy. Hungary serves as a template, and Donald Trump has become an inspiration. He also influenced the Polish election: the Secretary of Homeland Security came on Tuesday to support Karol Nawrocki. This is why the French president called on his counterpart to build a strong, independent Europe that respects the rule of law.

The Polish president lacks the power to change his country's political direction; his scope of action is limited. It is the prime minister who sits on the European Council. The current prime minister, Donald Tusk, has made Poland a central player in Europe since 2023, but the president has the power to disrupt legislation thanks to his right to veto legislation.

The current Prime Minister is well acquainted with this mechanism. He is coming off two years of cohabitation with a conservative president who blocked most societal reforms. Poland has not yet completed its European transformation. And now it has chosen a president even more radical than the previous one. It is this momentum towards a tolerant and inclusive Europe that is now threatened.

Poland risks becoming a political battleground. Experts on the country suspect the new president will do everything he can to neutralize the pro-European prime minister. He may seek to call early parliamentary elections to bring the conservative party back to power. This could become his primary objective, along with the obligation to satisfy the other branch that brought him to power: the libertarian and anti-Semitic far right, which garnered a fifth of the vote in the first round.

Poland could become a battleground between two visions of Europe: one authoritarian, the other inclusive. This could also undermine the momentum for building common defense and sovereignty.