Trump meets Polish nationalist candidate ahead of presidential election

2/5/2025 15:40

The presidential candidate backed by Poland's main nationalist opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) Karol Nawrocki met President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, the White House said, in a sign of support shortly before the election.



Poles will vote in the first round of a presidential ballot on May 18. Cultivating good relations with the United States is important for a country that sees Washington's support as essential for its security.



"President Trump said 'you will win'," Nawrocki told private broadcaster TV Republika. "I read it as a kind of wish for my success in the upcoming elections, and also awareness of it, and after this whole day I can say that the American administration is aware of what is happening in Poland."



Nawrocki had attended the National Day of Prayer at the White House.



The White House posted pictures of the meeting in the Oval Office on X, which showed Trump and Nawrocki shaking hands and giving a thumbs up gesture to the camera.



The nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party backing Nawrocki has positioned itself as a vocal supporter of Trump, with its lawmakers chanting his name in the Polish parliament after he won reelection.