With all ballots counted, Nawrocki, a pro-Trump Eurosceptic, received 50.89 percent of the vote, while his centrist rival, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, garnered 49.11 percent, the National Electoral Commission (PKW) said at a press conference.
It added that Nawrocki, a staunch critic of the country's centrist government, won a total of 10,606,628 votes, while Trzaskowski, the government-backed candidate, secured 10,237,177.
Voter turnout in Sunday’s runoff was 71.63 percent, up from 67.31 percent in the first round of voting two weeks earlier, according to the election authority.
It was the highest turnout for a presidential vote since 1990 and second only to the 2023 parliamentary election, which saw 74.38 percent, Sylwester Marciniak, head of the National Electoral Commission, told reporters.
Nawrocki, 42, a historian and amateur boxer who headed the state-run Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), campaigned on a promise to prioritise economic and social policies for Poles over other nationalities, including refugees from neighbouring Ukraine, the Reuters news agency reported.
It said the vote was being closely watched in Ukraine, Russia, the United States and across the European Union.
Members of Poland's National Electoral Commission (PKW). Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
In the first round on May 18, Trzaskowski narrowly led with 31.4 percent to Nawrocki’s 29.5 percent. As no candidate won an outright majority, a runoff was required.
'Brave fight for Poland'
Outgoing President Andrzej Duda, whose second term ends on August 6, congratulated Nawrocki on his victory and thanked voters for turning out in large numbers, as well as "for fulfilling their duty as citizens" and "for taking responsibility for Poland."
In a separate post, Duda described the closely contested election as "a difficult, at times painful, but undeniably brave fight for Poland—for how the country's affairs should be run."
"Thank you for this heroic effort right up to the final minute of the campaign," he wrote, addressing Nawrocki.
'If Poland wins the world wins'
US President Donald Trump's nominee for ambassador to Warsaw, Thomas Rose, said on X: "Congratulations to Poland - proving yet again throughout the ups and downs of a hard fought campaign between two great patriots exactly what a strong, proud and free people and nation they are! If Poland wins the world wins!"
'I’m confident EU will continue its very good cooperation with Poland'
European Union President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Nawrocki early on Monday, saying she was "confident that the EU will continue its very good cooperation" with Poland.
"We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values," she wrote in a post. "So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home."
Razor-thin majority
An initial exit poll released after voting ended on Sunday evening had pointed to a Trzaskowski victory.
Speaking to supporters on election night, Trzaskowski claimed victory but cautioned that his lead was razor-thin.
Rafał Trzaskowski with wife Małgorzata. Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak
He thanked voters and all those who backed him in the race, pledging to "connect and build" if confirmed as the country's new president.
"This is a special moment in Poland’s history, and I am convinced it will help us all move forward ... to focus primarily on the future," he told the crowd.
"I will truly be the president of all Poles; I will be your president," he declared.
'We will win and save Poland'
Nawrocki, meanwhile, urged his supporters to wait for the official results.
Karol Nawrocki votes at a polling station in Warsaw on Sunday, accompanied by his family. Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak
“We will win and save Poland," he vowed.
"We have to win tonight—and we know we will," he added, as updated projections and vote counts were expected later in the night.
The Polish president holds veto power over legislation passed by parliament, a key prerogative in a deeply polarised political landscape.
Nawrocki's win could usher in a period of heightened political tension and pose new challenges to the pro-European government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, potentially leading to legislative gridlock, particularly on judicial and social reforms, according to political analysts.
'We've managed to unite the patriotic camp'
Nawrocki told supporters on Sunday evening that Tusk’s government must not hold a "monopoly" on power, calling it "a bad government, one that does a poor job managing public finances and is stripping away our great dreams and aspirations."
In his speech, he thanked his supporters, including those who backed other "patriotic" candidates in the first round.
"We also accomplished something very important—something that will endure for months and years to come," he said. "We've managed to unite the patriotic camp in Poland—everyone who wants a normal Poland, a Poland without illegal immigrants, a safe Poland."
The election outcome marks a significant shift in voter preferences, signalling a resurgence of right-wing sentiment.
Nawrocki’s campaign emphasised traditional values and a cautious approach to European integration.
Trzaskowski’s narrow loss underscores the polarisation of Polish society, with urban centres leaning liberal and rural areas favouring conservative policies.
Nawrocki, whose presidential bid was backed by the right-wing opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, pledged to promote Catholic family values and oppose liberal reforms, including any effort to relax abortion rules.
An admirer of Trump's style of leadership, he is also expected to support policies aligning Poland more closely with Washington.
Trzaskowski, a senior figure in Tusk’s ruling Civic Coalition (KO), campaigned on a platform of strengthening EU ties and democratic institutions.
The close race highlighted a deep divide among the electorate over the country's future direction.
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Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info, TVN24, wybory.gov.pl