Karol Nawrocki

Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki (born 3 March 1983) is a Polish historian and politician who has served as the 7th president of Poland since 2025. Previously, he served as the director of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) from 2021 to 2025, and was the director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk from 2017 to 2021.

Born in Gdańsk, Nawrocki studied history at the University of Gdańsk, earning a PhD in 2013 with a dissertation on anti-communist activities in the former Polish People's Republic. His academic work centers on themes such as anti-communist resistance, organized crime, and the history of sports, a subject related to his own background as an active youth athlete, particularly in football and boxing. Nawrocki's early professional career was closely aligned with institutions dedicated to preserving and promoting Poland's historical memory. He joined the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) in 2009 and gained recognition for reorienting Poland's historical institutions toward a patriotic and anti-communist narrative. In the 2025 presidential election, Nawrocki was chosen as the presidential candidate of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, ran as a nonpartisan "citizens' candidate" and defeated the liberal Rafał Trzaskowski.

As president, he has reflected a broader rightward shift in Poland's political landscape. Since his inauguration on 6 August 2025, Nawrocki has been following a confrontational course with the ruling coalition and its leader, Donald Tusk, whom he considers the "worst prime minister of the Third Polish Republic". Nawrocki strives to strengthen power around the presidency, supporting constitutional reform into a semi-presidential system. His chancellery is made up of PiS politicians and his IPN affiliates.

Early life and education

Karol Nawrocki was born on 3 March 1983, in Gdańsk. His father, Ryszard (1949–2008), was a turner and a member of Solidarity. His mother, Elżbieta, was a bookbinder. He has a younger sister named Nina who is a pastry cook and works in a restaurant in Kraków. He completed primary school and the 4th High School in his home city. After passing his final exams (matura) in 2002, he graduated in 2003 from the Post-Secondary School of Business and Administration in Gdańsk with the title of Personnel Management Specialist. In the same year, he began his university studies at Faculty of History at the University of Gdańsk, which he completed in 2008 with a master's degree.

At the same institute, he obtained a PhD in the humanities based on his dissertation titled: Social Resistance to Communist Rule in the Elbląg Voivodeship, 1976–1989. In 2023, he completed the International MBA in Strategy, Programme and Project Management postgraduate studies at the Gdańsk University of Technology. In his youth, Nawrocki developed a strong interest in physical fitness, spending time working out at the gym, and participating in football and boxing.

Early career

Nawrocki worked at the Institute of National Remembrance in the years 2009–2017, heading its Branch Public Education Office in Gdańsk from 2013 to 2017. He also served as the chairman of the Siedlce District Council in Gdańsk between 2011 and 2017.

In 2017, Nawrocki was appointed the director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, a job he held until 2021. He then returned to the Institute of National Remembrance, becoming its deputy president in June 2021. In July 2021, he took office as the head of the Institute of National Remembrance after being elected by the Sejm and approved by the Senate of Poland. Nawrocki is the author or co-author of several books as well as numerous scientific and popular science papers on anti-communist opposition, organised crime in the Polish People's Republic and the history of sports.

Nawrocki used the pen name "Tadeusz Batyr" to write a book about a gangster living in 1980s Communist Poland. Nawrocki in 2018 went on television as Tadeusz Batyr, wearing a hat and having the television broadcast blur his face, where he said that Nawrocki "inspired me" and highlighted how Nawrocki "was the first person to examine organised crime in communist Poland". Meanwhile, on social media, Nawrocki wrote that "Tadeusz Batyr contacted me for some guidance" and "thanked me for my help with an interesting book, which I recommend".

Presidential campaign

Rise to candidacy

Nawrocki was in consideration among speculative candidates such as PiS parliamentary leader Mariusz Błaszczak, MEP Tobiasz Bocheński, poseł Zbigniew Bogucki, former Minister Przemysław Czarnek, MEP Patryk Jaki, former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, poseł Arkadiusz Mularczyk, poseł Kacper Płażyński, former Deputy Minister Tomasz Szatkowski and MEP Dominik Tarczyński, among others. President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Witold Bańka, was also considered Kaczyński's favoured candidate, but he refused to run in the election.

Because of the centralized nature of the party, the choice for selecting who the party's candidate would be fell primarily to the party chairman, Jarosław Kaczyński, based on social research and the balance of factional power within the party. In an August Radio Maryja interview, Kaczyński stated that the selection of possible candidates was narrowing, and described that the PiS candidate must be a "young, tall, imposing, handsome" male "[with] a family". A United Surveys poll in September 2024 suggested 29% of PiS voters supported Błaszczak, 21% supported Morawiecki, 11% supported Czarnek, 7% supported Nawrocki, 6% supported Bocheński and 6% supported Tarczyński. The possibility of a primary election for the party was rumored, but ultimately, never announced.

By November 2024, media speculation regarding the candidates narrowed down to, most frequently, Bocheński, Czarnek and Nawrocki. According to Newsweek, Nawrocki was supported internally by party activists such as Adam Bielan, Joachim Brudziński, Sławomir Cenckiewicz, Marta Kaczyńska, and Mateusz Morawiecki (despite initially desiring to himself be the candidate). Ultimately, at 13.15 on 22 November, Nawrocki was informed that he had been selected as the party's presidential candidate in a meeting with Kaczyński and his opponent, Bocheński.

The selection of Nawrocki without consultation with outgoing president Andrzej Duda (the previous PiS candidate) strained relations between him and Nawrocki, although Duda eventually endorsed Nawrocki at his election convention in Łódź on 26 April.

First round of the presidential election

On 24 November 2024, at the Sokół Gymnastics Society Building, during a civic congress organised by Law and Justice, Nawrocki was announced by Andrzej Nowak as an independent candidate supported by the party in the 2025 presidential election. Nawrocki's campaign's platform was described as "patriotic, pro-Christian, pro-NATO, pro-Western, and pro-Donald Trump". On 1 May 2025, Nawrocki met with Donald Trump in the Oval Office. He finished second in the first round held on 18 May 2025 with 29.54% of the vote, and faced Civic Platform candidate Rafał Trzaskowski in a runoff on 1 June.

Second round of the presidential election

On 22 May 2025, Nawrocki met with Sławomir Mentzen, who placed third in the first round of the election. They reportedly discussed possible concessions that could lead to Mentzen endorsing Nawrocki. Mentzen presented a set of eight points for a candidate to sign onto, which were signed by Nawrocki. Former candidates Marek Jakubiak, Marek Woch, Grzegorz Braun and Artur Bartoszewicz endorsed Nawrocki for the runoff. On 1 June 2025, Nawrocki won the runoff election with 50.9% of votes, beating Trzaskowski, who received 49.1% of votes.

Controversies

Nawrocki was the subject of various affairs during the 2025 presidential election. Speculation began on whether PiS would replace Nawrocki when it was revealed that he had contact with a future criminal during his time as a boxer two decades prior, for which he was attacked by opposing politicians. Polling showed, however, that the vast plurality of people did not expect Nawrocki to be replaced. Nawrocki would continue being PiS' presidential candidate going into the first round and would face further controversies about his private life.

During the course of the campaign, public criticism emerged over Nawrocki's acquisition of a second apartment from an elderly man in pre-trial detention. As Nawrocki had declared to own just one apartment during a debate, Onet publicised information about him owning a second one. The candidate proceeded to declare that he had acquired the second apartment from the elderly man for pledging lifelong care in exchange; however, it was revealed the man was placed in a state care facility without Nawrocki's involvement. Amid accusations of exploitation, Nawrocki defended the deal's legality and donated the property to charity, after which some journalists claimed the man regained access to the property. He also stated he had regularly tried to visit the elderly man, but without success.