Poland: An independent candidate won the first round of the election for mayor of Kraków. He will face the candidate backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition

Independent candidate Łukasz Gibała won Sunday’s first round of early elections for mayor of Krakow, Poland’s second-largest city. According to an Ipsos exit poll, Gibała secured 36.6% of the vote and will take part in the second round, scheduled for October 11, alongside Senator Monika Piątkowska, backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition, who received 24.4%.

No candidate exceeded the 50% threshold required for a first-round victory. Law and Justice candidate Michał Drewnicki came third, with 19.6%, and will not take part in the decisive runoff.

The election is seen as a test of the Civic Coalition’s political strength ahead of the 2027 parliamentary elections. Tusk’s party is seeking to regain the mayor’s office after Mayor Aleksander Miszalski was dismissed following a referendum held in May. Gibała lost to him by just a few thousand votes in the 2024 election.

The right-wing opposition claims the result points to a weakening government. Voter turnout was 41.9%, and some opposition parties could support Gibała in the second round.