Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland's presidential election

Conservative Karol Nawrocki has won Poland's weekend presidential runoff election, according to the final vote count.

WARSAW, Poland — Conservative Karol Nawrocki won Poland’s weekend presidential runoff election, according to the final vote count on Monday. Nawrocki won 50.89% of votes in a very tight race against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who received 49.11%.

The race had Poland on edge since a first round of voting two weeks earlier, revealing deep divisions in the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union.

An early exit poll released Sunday evening suggested Trzaskowski was headed to victory before updated polling began to reverse the picture a couple of hours later.

The outcome suggests that Poland can be expected to take a more populist and nationalist path under its new leader, who was backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Most day-to-day power in the Polish political system rests with a prime minister chosen by the parliament. However, the president's role is not merely ceremonial. The office holds the power to influence foreign policy and veto legislation.