Poland's presidential election is still to come, but Sunday's first round was a big moment for right-wing and far-right candidates, and also sent a signal to Prime Minister Donald Tusk's moderate government.
Tusk's candidate, the liberal mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, and his conservative rival, Karol Nawrocki, backed by the national-conservative Law and Justice party, took the top spots among 13 candidates.
The results were very close, with Mr Trzaskowski winning 31.36% of the vote and Mr Nawrocki 29.54%, according to final results released on Monday morning.
Poles now face a tense second round of elections on June 1, and the outcome of this final stage will have a significant impact on the future.
The race is not just for the presidency, which provides the power to influence foreign policy and veto laws.
It will also determine the fate of Mr Tusk's efforts to repair the country's ties with European allies after years of Law and Justice rule that often ran counter to Brussels' principles.
Mr Tusk has tried to reverse changes to the judiciary that the European Union deemed undemocratic, but his efforts have been largely blocked by outgoing conservative President Andrzej Duda.
Many centrist and progressive voters also express disappointment that Mr. Tusk has failed to follow through on other promises, such as easing strict abortion laws.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
