Centrist Rafal Trzaskowski is narrowly leading nationalist Karol Nawrocki in Poland’s presidential race as the official results are still awaited. The exit polls projected the Polish centrist presidential candidate has the upper hand over the nationalist opponent.

Rafal Trzaskowski, however, declared victory in Poland’s presidential election on Sunday.

“We won,” Trzaskowski told his cheering supporters after the polls were released. “I will bring people together, I will be constructive, I will be a president for all Poles. I will be your president.”

WHAT EXIT POLLS SHOW

According to Ipsos exit poll carried out for TVN, TVP, and Polsat television networks, Trzaskowski secured 50.3% of the vote. Nawrocki, a conservative historian and amateur boxer, was close behind with 49.7%. However, the official results are expected on Monday. Notably, the exit poll has a 2-percentage-point margin of error, which could change the final outcome.

While most power in Poland lies with the parliament, the president can veto laws. Due to this, Ukraine, Russia, the US, and the European Union are keeping track of the Polish presidential elections.

Both candidates agreed on the need to spend heavily on defence, as US President Donald Trump is demanding from Europe, and to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s three-year-old invasion.

But while Trzaskowski sees Ukraine’s future membership of NATO as essential for Poland’s security, Nawrocki said recently that if he were president he would not ratify it because of the danger of the alliance being drawn into war with Russia.

Nawrocki, who draws inspiration from Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, said it was too early to call Trzaskowski’s victory.

“We will win and we will save Poland,” he said. “We will not allow for Donald Tusk’s power to be all-encompassing and the monopoly of evil power … which takes away our great dreams …to become complete.”

With inputs from Reuters