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Conservative to win Polish presidential run-off: Poll

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Conservative challenger Andrzej Duda appeared poised to win Poland's Sunday presidential run-off against incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski, according to a survey released Thursday.

Duda, who has been campaigning on bread-and-butter issues like lowering the retirement age, has the support of 48 percent of voters, according to a poll by the independent Warsaw-based CBOS institute.

Komorowski, who has focused on defence as well as pocketbook matters, got the backing of 44 percent of people surveyed between May 14-20, CBOS said.

However, a separate poll conducted on May 18 by the Millward Brown pollsters and published Tuesday showed Komorowski winning with 47 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Duda.

The 62-year-old Komorowski was stunned by his narrow first round election loss to Duda, a 43-year-old populist candidate from the main conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Komorowski, who has been president since 2010 and is close to the governing centrist Civic Platform (PO) party, scored 33.8 percent of the vote against Duda's 34.8 percent.

Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski (R) gestures upon arrival for a TV debate on May 21  2015 in W...
Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski (R) gestures upon arrival for a TV debate on May 21, 2015 in Warsaw
Wojtek Radwanski, AFP

Analysts were divided Thursday on the outcome of the final pre-election debate between the rivals, broadcast by the commercial TVN station.

"The debate will benefit Duda," according to political scientist Mikolaj Czesnik.

"He addressed the disillusioned, knowing full well that it's all about capturing several hundred thousand undecided voters," he told AFP.

Polish Academy of Sciences analyst Radoslaw Markowski told AFP he thought "Komorowski came out slightly ahead", adding that the incumbent had "succeeded in convincing the undecided."

"But it's impossible to predict which candidate will win Sunday, it will be a very close race," Markowski said.

With the PO and PiS still running neck-and-neck in parliamentary opinion polls, analysts say the outcome of the presidential battle may well be a harbinger of things to come in an autumn general election.

Analysts predict that victory for Duda could pave the way for a PiS victory, with party leader Kaczynski as prime minister.

The twin brother of former President Lech Kaczynski who died in a 2010 plane crash in Russia, served as prime minister in 2006-2007 in a conflict-ridden, unpopular right-wing coalition government.

He has kept a low profile during the presidential campaign.

Conservative challenger Andrzej Duda appeared poised to win Poland’s Sunday presidential run-off against incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski, according to a survey released Thursday.

Duda, who has been campaigning on bread-and-butter issues like lowering the retirement age, has the support of 48 percent of voters, according to a poll by the independent Warsaw-based CBOS institute.

Komorowski, who has focused on defence as well as pocketbook matters, got the backing of 44 percent of people surveyed between May 14-20, CBOS said.

However, a separate poll conducted on May 18 by the Millward Brown pollsters and published Tuesday showed Komorowski winning with 47 percent of the vote compared to 44 percent for Duda.

The 62-year-old Komorowski was stunned by his narrow first round election loss to Duda, a 43-year-old populist candidate from the main conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Komorowski, who has been president since 2010 and is close to the governing centrist Civic Platform (PO) party, scored 33.8 percent of the vote against Duda’s 34.8 percent.

Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski (R) gestures upon arrival for a TV debate on May 21  2015 in W...

Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski (R) gestures upon arrival for a TV debate on May 21, 2015 in Warsaw
Wojtek Radwanski, AFP

Analysts were divided Thursday on the outcome of the final pre-election debate between the rivals, broadcast by the commercial TVN station.

“The debate will benefit Duda,” according to political scientist Mikolaj Czesnik.

“He addressed the disillusioned, knowing full well that it’s all about capturing several hundred thousand undecided voters,” he told AFP.

Polish Academy of Sciences analyst Radoslaw Markowski told AFP he thought “Komorowski came out slightly ahead”, adding that the incumbent had “succeeded in convincing the undecided.”

“But it’s impossible to predict which candidate will win Sunday, it will be a very close race,” Markowski said.

With the PO and PiS still running neck-and-neck in parliamentary opinion polls, analysts say the outcome of the presidential battle may well be a harbinger of things to come in an autumn general election.

Analysts predict that victory for Duda could pave the way for a PiS victory, with party leader Kaczynski as prime minister.

The twin brother of former President Lech Kaczynski who died in a 2010 plane crash in Russia, served as prime minister in 2006-2007 in a conflict-ridden, unpopular right-wing coalition government.

He has kept a low profile during the presidential campaign.

AFP
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With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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