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On 1 June, Poland elected a head of state who is an admirer of Donald Trump, who wants border controls with Germany to stop migrants, who speaks ill of his country's million Ukrainian refugees, who is opposed to their country joining Nato, and who is supported by the EU-sceptic Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán.
Nationalist Karol Nawrocki (independent but backed by the hard-right populist Law and Justice, PiS) narrowly edged out liberal Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski (PO, 49.11%) in the second round of the presidential election, with 50.89% of the vote.
It was a narrow victory that testifies to the ongoing polarization of Polish society. PM Donald Tusk subsequently won a vote of confidence in parliament on 11 June, but what chance does he now have of implementing his policies? Who really is Karol Nawrocki, who are his supporters, and how will he shape the direction of this core EU country, particularly with regard to the Ukraine war? Is there any question of American interference?
We discussed these questions with Polish journalists Agnieszka Wiśniewska (of Krytyka Polityczna) and Michał Kokot (of Gazeta Wyborcza). A conversation moderated by Catherine André and Gian-Paolo Accardo.
