In Poland, has started on Sunday in the runoff presidential elections. About 30 million voters can choose between incumbent Andrzej Duda and his opposition Challenger, Rafa? Trzaskowski. A lot is at stake: The national-conservative government, bearing that in 2015 the President and the government, has initiated since then, profound changes and want to continue with this. The liberal Opposition sees in some of these measures-a danger for the rule of law and democracy and wants to undo.

Gerhard Gnauck

Political correspondent for Poland, the Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, based in Warsaw.

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Marcin Duma, head of the research Institute IBRiS in Warsaw, a new division of the country into two large groups of voters, the “warehouse security” and the “camp of freedom”. The output could be very close. It is conceivable that after the closure of polling stations at 21 at the then-expected first forecast with the note will provide that the questioning of the voters, according to Exit polls (exit poll) “could not determine a winner”.

this Time, the Corona-crisis, which forced a postponement of the election by six weeks, and commenced a holiday leave period, the situation is difficult to calculate appear. In addition, the mobilization of the voters is unusually high: In the first ballot on may 28. June was the turnout at about 64 per cent, 49 per cent five years ago. Who spoke in the past three days, people in Warsaw and its surroundings on the street could feel the tension. For many, it is a fate choice.

Agata, teacher, mid 40’s, used to be multiple “trusted person” of the candidates in the polling station. The trust of the people allowed to see the election volunteers count the votes, on the Finger. This time, the liberal Opposition lacked the Polish media, according to the confidence of people in about 4,500 polling stations. “In the first ballot, there was a case, where the ballot paper for a candidate at the end – seemingly at random – on the stack of other layers,” she says.

A young woman in the queue at the fruit stand in the Warsaw Paryska street don’t want to talk about politics. But the “candidate with the dark hair” (Trzaskowski) liked her better, she says finally. “The world is diverse, I’m all for diversity, so I choose the.” Completely disagree with the fruit seller, a well-spoken man of about 50. He escape hearty the previous head of government, Donald Tusk, a close Partner of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “Tusk has sold our country to the Germans, and Trzaskowski today is his candidate. You are from Germany, they come from there, you will see the different, I’m from here, I see it that way. Here in the vicinity there is a German Foundation working because people are working from Germany. The want to spy on us probably.“

Dudas’s popularity declined

Maryla, a young mother, called a personal reason for her choice: she worked in an international group. As you have asked a colleague, your support for the LGBT movement also demonstrated in the workplace, a critical question, whether you have been dismissed. “I’m a Christian, Trzaskowski identifies with the LGBT movement, I can’t choose,” says Maryla. “I can’t do that to my children.”