(12 Jul 2020) A late exit poll for Poland’s presidential runoff on Sunday showed the conservative, populist incumbent Andrzej Duda leading against the liberal, pro-Europe mayor of Warsaw, but with the race still too close to call.
The exit poll by the Ipsos institute showed Duda with 50.8% of the vote and challenger Rafal Trzaskowski with 49.2%.
An earlier exit poll had showed the president with 50.4% and his challenger with 49.6%.
The polls had margins for error of plus-or-minus one percentage point and two points, respectively.
It appeared to be the closest election in Poland’s history, reflecting the deep divisions in this European Union nation.
Speaking after the first exit poll was released, Duda reached out a hand of goodwill to his opponent and all his critics, saying: "Let us respect each other so that we would be able to reach out and let us talk to each other."
He continued by offering his apologies to anyone who "felt offended by my actions or words during these five years, not just in the election campaign."
Duda, who is backed by the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party and the government, campaigned on traditional values and social spending in this mostly Catholic nation as he sought a second five-year term.
Trzaskowski, a former European Parliament lawmaker, jumped into the race relatively late to oppose Duda's denigration of urban liberals, the LGBT community and other minorities and to counter an erosion of democratic rights under the ruling party.
He represented the centrist opposition Civic Platform party, which was in power in from 2007 to 2015.
If Duda is reelected, the populist Law and Justice party will keep a close ally in the president and maintain its hold on almost all key instruments of power in the nation of 38 million people.
A win for Trzaskowski would give him the power to veto laws passed by the ruling conservatives and give Poland a less contentious relationship with European Union officials.
Another exit poll based on more data will be published later Sunday with a tighter margin of error.
Official results are not expected until Monday or Tuesday.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
