WARSAW, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian with no prior political experience, has been elected as Poland's next president -- a result seen as a symbolic victory for the nationalist right and a potential check on the country's liberal reform agenda.

Though officially running as an independent, Nawrocki was endorsed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party and defeated liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski of the ruling Civic Coalition in one of the closest presidential contests in Poland's recent history. He secured 50.89 percent of the vote, compared with 49.11 percent for Trzaskowski, with voter turnout reaching 71.63 percent -- one of the highest since 1990.

FROM HISTORIAN TO PRESIDENT-ELECT

Born in 1983 in the northern coastal city of Gdansk, Nawrocki holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Gdansk. He served as director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk from 2017 to 2021, where he revised exhibits to emphasize Poland's nationalist perspective on history.

In 2021, he was appointed president of the Institute of National Remembrance, a state body responsible for documenting and interpreting Poland's 20th-century history.

Nawrocki's campaign was a mirror of PiS values -- prioritizing national sovereignty, Catholic social teachings, and skepticism toward the European Union (EU).

He also attracted international conservative support, including from U.S. President Donald Trump, who called him a "Trump ally" and hailed his win as "shocking all in Europe" in a congratulatory message.

Nawrocki's core base included older Catholic voters and younger conservatives frustrated with Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist coalition.

According to Aleks Szczerbiak, a professor of politics at the University of Sussex, Nawrocki's win "reflects deep divisions within Polish society," with strong support from culturally conservative, Eurosceptic voters in small towns and rural areas.

KEY CAMPAIGN PROMISES

Under the slogan "Poland first, Poles first," Nawrocki ran on a socially conservative and nationalist platform. He pledged to veto any efforts to liberalize abortion laws or recognize same-sex partnerships.

Economically, he advocates "economic patriotism," proposing tax exemptions for overtime pay, maintaining the Sunday trading ban, and introducing taxes on owners of multiple properties -- excluding families with children. He also supports major infrastructure investments, positioning them as a continuation of Poland's interwar development tradition.

Regarding energy policy, he supports nuclear power but insists Poland continue coal mining and use until nuclear plants are operational.

In foreign policy, Nawrocki has been critical of the EU's Green Deal and migration pact, viewing deeper EU integration as a threat to national sovereignty.

He has also expressed opposition to Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO. During an April televised debate, he said, "no reconciliation is possible without historical truth," citing unresolved historical tensions with Ukraine from events like the 1943 Volhynia massacres.

On defense, Nawrocki promises to expand Poland's armed forces to 300,000 troops and increase defense spending, opposing mandatory conscription.

During a campaign stop in southern Poland's Krakow in May, he said, "Poland must be strong on its own soil and in its alliances," underlining his commitment to NATO and alliance with the United States.

POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS AT HOME

Although largely ceremonial, Poland's presidency wields significant legislative veto powers and influences foreign and defense policy. Analysts anticipate Nawrocki will exercise these powers much like outgoing PiS-aligned President Andrzej Duda, likely obstructing Prime Minister Tusk's centrist and pro-EU reform agenda.

Tusk's coalition, which returned to power in 2023, lacks the three-fifths majority needed to override presidential vetoes -- a constraint that has already stalled efforts to restore judicial independence and liberalize abortion laws. With Nawrocki in office through 2030, analysts anticipate a prolonged institutional standoff.

Nawrocki's election "blocks key reforms and makes a second term (for Tusk) in 2027 look unlikely," while also potentially consolidating a future conservative majority, Catherine De Vries, professor at Bocconi University in Milan, wrote Monday in The Guardian.

On Tuesday, Tusk acknowledged "the gravity of the moment" and called for a largely symbolic parliamentary confidence vote, which his coalition is expected to win despite lacking the supermajority required to bypass a presidential veto.

PART OF A BROADER EUROSCEPTIC SHIFT

Nawrocki's win continues the broader surge of Eurosceptic right-wing movements in Europe, following the rise of Portugal's far-right Chega party to second place in May's parliamentary elections, and Romanian hard-right leader George Simion's strong first-round showing in a recent election rerun.

Media outlets have linked Nawrocki to nationalist leaders aligned with Trump.

De Vries described Nawrocki's election as a "morale boost for MAGA forces in Europe," noting that his critical stance toward EU federalism, immigration and climate regulation aligns with right-wing populist rhetoric across the continent.

Nawrocki's election "pitches Poland into EU ideas battleground," Euronews reported Monday, predicting intensified tensions with Brussels and further complications for EU consensus-building on key issues such as migration, climate action and enlargement policy.