- Title: Polls opens in a closely-fought presidential election in Poland
- Date: 28th June 2020
- Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (JUNE 28, 2020) (REUTERS) PEOPLE CASTING THEIR VOTES INTO BALLOT BOX MAN WAITING TO COLLECT BALLOT PAPER FROM POLLING STATION OFFICIALS WOMAN CHECKING BALLOT PAPER / CASTING HER VOTE INTO BALLOT BOX VOTING BOOTH PEOPLE WAITING TO COLLECT BALLOT PAPERS PEOPLE CASTING VOTES INTO BALLOT BOX PEOPLE REGISTERING WITH POLLING STATION OFFICIALS MAN CASTING HIS VOTE INTO BALLOT BOX / BALLOT BOX MAN SWEEPING POLLING STATION FLOOR / PEOPLE QUEUING / PEOPLE WALKING TO VOTING BOOTH MAN IN WHEELCHAIR BEING PUSHED TO VOTING BOOTH / PEOPLE QUEUING TO COLLECT BALLOT PAPERS LITTLE BOY CASTING VOTE FOR HIS PARENT VOTING BOOTHS / BALLOT BOX
- Embargoed: 12th July 2020 07:41
- Keywords: Andrzej Duda Poland Poland EU relations Polish presidential election President Duda Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski elections
- Location: WARSAW, POLAND
- City: WARSAW, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001CKA9R9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Poles headed to polling stations to cast their votes on Sunday (June 28) in a closely-fought presidential election that could reshape its tense relationship with the EU and determine the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government's ability to make progress on its socially conservative agenda.
Incumbent Andrzej Duda, 48, has vowed to be a guardian of PiS's economic programmes, which include generous social spending, and its pledge to safeguard traditional family values in the predominantly Catholic country.
A PiS ally, Duda has rejected some Western influences including sexual education programmes that he says can perpetuate "LGBT ideology", which he argues is worse than communism.
His main challenger, centrist Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, also 48, seeks to provide a progressive alternative, promising to fight Poland's isolation in the EU after five years of conflict between the government and Brussels.
Since PiS came to power in 2015, the European Commission, the EU executive, has launched an unprecedented legal action against Warsaw following criticism that Poland is subverting democratic norms by politicising its courts.
Poland's presidency carries some responsibilities in defense and foreign affairs as well as the right to veto legislation.
Nine other candidates are competing, including independent Catholic journalist Szymon Holownia, leftist Robert Biedron - Poland's most prominent openly gay politician - and Krzysztof Bosak of the far-right Confederation party.
Polling stations opened at 7.00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and close at 9.00 p.m., when exit polls will be published. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, the two with the biggest share will compete in a second round on July 12.
(Production: Michael Fiorentino, Tanya Lezaic) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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