Centre-right leader endorses Warsaw mayor in presidential race
Szymon Holownia, a presidential runner who has failed to advance to the second round of vote on June 1, has expressed support for Rafal Trzaskowski, the centrist mayor of Warsaw.
In the first round of the presidential ballot on Sunday, Holownia, a candidate of the centre-right Third Way party and the lower house speaker, won a disappointing 4.99 percent of votes.
On Tuesday he met with Trzaskowski, who came first on 31.36 percent.
Trzaskowski, a candidate of the ruling centrist Civic Coalition (KO), will have to face-off with the right-wing Karol Nawrocki, who secured 29.54 percent and is supported by KO's main rival, the socially-conservative Law and Justice (PiS).
"Today I'd like to invite those who placed their hopes in my hands to trust Rafal Trzaskowski," Holownia said after the meeting.
He added that Trzaskowski needed to show that "he doesn't want to be [just] the mayor of Warsaw, but the president of the whole of Poland."
Trzaskowski said that he and Holownia agreed on a number of issues, including the need to rebuild a sense of community in Poland amid stark political polarisation.
Trzaskowski also said they both saw a strong need to pursue ambitious foreign and security policy agendas.
When it comes to local issues, Trzaskowski continued, he and Holownia believed that small towns should be provided with the same opportunities as bigger cities.
The run-off vote will be held on Sunday, June 1. (PAP)
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