The rise of the far-right Konfederacja party in Poland is creating quite a stir for the EU member state. This coalition, which teams up with the extremists Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Bulgarian Revival, often spits out violent anti-EU rhetoric and aligns itself with Putin against Ukraine.
Recent surveys suggest that a far-right candidate might make it to the second round of the Polish presidential election on May 18, with a possible runoff on June 1. Sławomir Mentzen, who co-chairs the Confederation of Freedom and Independence and leads the New Hope party, is one of the fifteen candidates in the race.
In a survey from SW Research published in “Wprost” magazine last Friday, Mentzen is showing up in third place with support of around 17% to 18%. The top contenders are Rafał Trzaskowski from the ruling Civic Coalition and Karol Nawrocki, backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party.
If the elections were held right now, Mentzen could face Trzaskowski in the second round, with Mentzen at 18.9% and Nawrocki at 16.5%. When asked if the far-right candidate had a shot at making it to the second round, 33.3% said he’s got no chance, while 53.9% think he might pull it off. Interestingly, 16.3% of those surveyed believe that if Mentzen makes it, it’ll be at the cost of Trzaskowski, while 37.6% think it’ll be at Nawrocki’s expense.
These numbers show that the more conservative and nationalist PiS party might be losing ground to the far-right, and it seems extremist and pro-Kremlin views are creeping into a society which has suffered from Russia before.
Mentzer has been on the campaign trail since August 20, 2024, the earliest of all the candidates, and his grassroots approach mainly targets poorer neighbourhoods and rural areas. He’s especially popular among younger voters, particularly those under 24, where he’s pulling in 44% support.
