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. 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 centres on themes such as anti-communist resistance in Poland, organised 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 Polish presidential election, Nawrocki was chosen as the presidential candidate of the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, ran as a nonpartisan "citizens' candidate" and defeated the liberal Rafał Trzaskowski.

As president, Nawrocki has reflected a broader anti-liberal realignment in Poland's political landscape, aligning with populist and right-wing cultural shifts. However, he holds a pro-welfare and protectionist economic stance described by some as left-wing. He pledged to implement new policies that will combat "unfair competition" in the Polish economy. Since his inauguration on 6 August 2025, Nawrocki has been following a confrontational course with the 15 October Coalition and professed opposition to its leader, Donald Tusk. 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.