• Rafal Trzaskowski of the Civic Platform won 30.8% in the first round of voting.
• Karol Nawrocki, representing the Law and Justice party, followed closely with 29.1%.
• A runoff will occur on June 1, as no candidate secured a majority.
• Turnout for the election was reported at 66.8%.
• The election is critical for Poland’s political shift towards liberal policies.

The first round of Poland’s presidential election, held on Sunday, concluded with Liberal candidate Rafal Trzaskowski garnering 30.8% of the vote, leading over conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki, who received 29.1%. This sets the stage for a runoff on June 1, as no candidate achieved the required majority, according to aa, trtglobal, and Al Jazeera.

Trzaskowski, the current mayor of Warsaw and a member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist Civic Platform, emphasized the need for determination and collaboration in the lead-up to the runoff. “We are going for victory. I said it would be close, and it is close,” he stated, according to reports from NY Times and BBC.

Despite his lead, Trzaskowski faces an uphill battle in the runoff since two far-right candidates collectively garnered over 21% of the first-round votes. His rival, Nawrocki, campaigning for the nationalist Law and Justice party, also exuded confidence and urged supporters to unite against Trzaskowski's coalition, as reported by trtglobal and Al Jazeera.

The election was marked by a turnout of 66.8%, and with 13 candidates in total, the dynamics illustrate a significant political shift for Poland amidst rising security concerns and a push for progressive change, as highlighted by aa and NY Times.