The day of Duda: On Poland elections

President Andrzej Duda’s re-election in Sunday’s close run-off was a critical version for Poland’s ultra-nationalist federal government, which has actually been mired in a stand-off with the EU over the nation’s slide into authoritarianism and erosion of the guideline of law. The renewed mandate for Mr. Duda, a staunch ally of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) celebration that looks for to overhaul Polish society and institutions, comes months after it was returned for a second consecutive term Mr. Duda, a former legal representative, surveyed 51.2%of the vote, against 48.7%by his competitor, Rafał Trzaskowski, the Mayor of Warsaw. The latter, who was backed by the centre-right Civic Union, considerably narrowed the 13%lead he yielded in the first round hung on June28 That gain could not compensate for the palpable lack of effort behind the fragmented opposition, as reflected in a multi-cornered contest in the earlier round. Mr. Trzaskowski was catapulted into the race simply days prior to the federal government chose to defer the surveys origina