Bangladesh, May 19 -- Polands presidential election is heading for a fierce and polarising second-round run-off after pro-European Union candidate and Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski eked out a narrow first-round victory on May 18. Backed by the countrys centrist government, Trzaskowski secured 31.36% of the vote, narrowly ahead of nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki, who garnered 29.54%. The two will now face off in a high-stakes final vote scheduled for June 1.

Despite his lead, Trzaskowski faces an uphill battle, analysts warn, as right-wing and far-right candidates collectively won a majority of the vote in the first round. The outcome underscores the growing influence of nationalist and conservative forces in Poland, part of a ...