Polish Elections: Casting Doubts on EU Integration

Polish politics entered another tumultuous period after Andrzej Duda won a surprising victory over incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski in May 25 presidential elections. After eight years in power, the ruling Civic Platform party is losing support to nationalist and protest parties that have rallied against the country's ruling elite and want to overturn some of the liberalization policies Warsaw introduced over the past decade. 

Despite this nationalistic fervor, Duda's victory will not change Poland's foreign policy. Warsaw's priority will be to maintain ties with the European Union, NATO and the United States. However, an additional victory for the conservative Law and Justice party in October's general elections could lead to fragile political alliances and the introduction of more nationalistic domestic policies.