Poland's President concedes defeat in elections

(Vatican Radio) Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has conceded defeat in the county's presidential election held on Sunday after an exit poll showed him trailing a candidate of a nationalist conservative party that claims to defend Catholic values. Exit polls showed Andrzej Duda, a previously little-known right-wing politician, receiving 53 percent compared to Komorowski's 47 percent.

Click below to listen to correspondent Stefan Bos’ report:

The release of exit poll were initially delayed after the death of a voter in a polling station. But soon it became clear that Poland will have a new president following elections in which 30 million Poles could participate.  His supporters shouted his name as the 43-year-old Duda, a lawyer and member of the European Parliament, declared victory after exit polls gave him slightly more than half of the votes.  “I thank everybody who participated in this campaign and who backed me, the thousands and millions of anonymous voters. I’m sure that together, we can run our country," Duda said on loud applause.  "It’s huge and difficult work, and nobody could do it alone. The president and the government can’t do it alone, even if they have the best possible cooperation they can’t do it without the support of the people.”  The exit polls, if confirmed by official results due Monday, mark a significant blow to the ruling Civic Platform party ahead of more important parliamentary elections this year. 

END OF AN ERA

The pro-market and pro-European party has overseen unprecedented growth during its eight years of power but is now being punished by voter discontent over corruption scandals and its decision to raise the retirement age. The defeat of Komorowski brings an end to eight years at the helm of Eastern Europe’s biggest economy by the centre-right Civic Platform. Yet outgoing President Komorowski, 62, was quick to admit defeat. “It was the decision of the citizens of free and democratic Poland. Democracy means that  one should not only recognise the voters’ verdict but respect it as well. For this reason I congratulate my opponent in the elections Andrzei Duda," he said. It’s the first major victory for the more nationalistic conservative Law and Justice party in almost a decade, giving it a strong boost ahead of a parliamentary poll this autumn.  The party is known as euro sceptic but also claims to defend Catholic values in this heavily Catholic nation.   Law and Justice is led by late President Kaczynski’s twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.