Poland to hold presidential election on 10 May

Poland will hold the first round of its presidential election on 10 May, the speaker of parliament announced on Wednesday.
Incumbent president Andrzej Duda has a strong lead in opinion polls. However, surveys suggest that Duda, who is supported with the governing right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, is unlikely to secure a first-round victory.
He is expected to face liberal opponent Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, from the main opposition Civic Platform party, in a 24 May run-off, if none of the contenders wins at least 50% support.
Other contenders include Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz of the conservative-agrarian Polish Coalition, Robert Biedron of the Left, Krzysztof Bosak of the far-right Confederation and Szymon Holownia, an independent candidate.
The announcement comes a day after Duda ratified a law that allows punishing judges who are critical of the government’s justice system. The PiS government has been criticized by the EU for breaching the bloc’s democratic values.
The Polish president is elected for a five-year term of office.