Karol Nawrocki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karol Nawrocki
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Nawrocki in 2025
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| President-elect of Poland | |
| Assuming office 6 August 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Donald Tusk |
| Succeeding | Andrzej Duda |
| President of the Institute of National Remembrance | |
| In office 23 July 2021 – 6 June 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Jarosław Szarek |
| Director of the Museum of the Second World War | |
| In office 19 October 2017 – 23 July 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Paweł Machcewicz |
| Succeeded by | Grzegorz Berendt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki
3 March 1983 Gdańsk, Poland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Law and Justice (2025) |
| Spouse | Marta Nawrocka |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Gdańsk (PhD) Gdańsk University of Technology (MBA) |
| Occupation | |
| Awards |     |
Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki (born 3 March 1983) is a Polish historian and politician. He is the president-elect of Poland since 1 June 2025. Before this, he led the Institute of National Remembrance from 2021 to 2025. He also directed the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk from 2017 to 2021.
Nawrocki studies the history of Poland, including resistance movements and the history of sports. He was elected President in the second round of the election on 1 June 2025, getting 50.89% of the votes. He is scheduled to become President of Poland on 6 August 2025.
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Early Life and Education
Karol Nawrocki was born in Gdańsk, Poland, on 3 March 1983. His father, Ryszard, was a turner and a member of the Solidarity movement. His mother, Elżbieta, worked as a bookbinder. He has a younger sister named Nina.
He finished primary and high school in Gdańsk. In 2003, he became a Personnel Management Specialist. He then studied history at the University of Gdańsk, earning his master's degree in 2008.
He later earned a PhD in humanities from the same university. His research focused on social resistance in Poland from 1976 to 1989. In 2023, he completed postgraduate studies in International MBA at the Gdańsk University of Technology.
Career Before Presidency
Karol Nawrocki worked at the Institute of National Remembrance from 2009 to 2017. He led its Public Education Office in Gdańsk from 2013 to 2017. He was also the chairman of the Siedlce District Council in Gdańsk.
In 2017, he became the director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk. He held this position until 2021. He then returned to the Institute of National Remembrance, becoming its deputy president in June 2021. In July 2021, he became the head of the Institute of National Remembrance. He has written several books and articles about Polish history.
Nawrocki also wrote a book about a person living in 1980s communist Poland under the name "Tadeusz Batyr." He appeared on television as Tadeusz Batyr, with his face blurred, to talk about the book.
2025 Presidential Campaign
Karol Nawrocki was supported by the Law and Justice (PiS) party as an independent candidate for the 2025 Polish presidential election. This was announced on 24 November 2024. He came in second place in the first round of the election on 18 May 2025, with 29.54% of the votes. He then faced Civic Platform candidate Rafał Trzaskowski in a second round on 1 June.
During his campaign, Nawrocki met with Donald Trump on 1 May 2025. He also met with Sławomir Mentzen, who finished third in the first round. They discussed possible agreements. Nawrocki signed a list of eight points presented by Mentzen. These points included not allowing new taxes, not joining the Euro, and protecting freedom of speech. Several other former candidates also supported Nawrocki for the second round.
On 1 June 2025, Nawrocki won the second round of the election with 50.9% of the votes. His campaign focused on patriotic and pro-Christian values, and support for NATO and the United States.
Campaign Discussions
During the 2025 presidential election, there were various discussions about Karol Nawrocki. He was criticized by some politicians. He also faced questions about his personal background.
One discussion involved his purchase of a second apartment. He stated he acquired it from an elderly man in exchange for lifelong care. However, it was later revealed the man was in a state care facility. Nawrocki defended the deal and promised to donate the property to charity.
Presidency
Karol Nawrocki is scheduled to become the President of Poland on 6 August 2025. He will take over from Andrzej Duda. He has announced that Zbigniew Bogucki will be his Chief of the Chancellery.
Political Views
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Karol Nawrocki is seen as an independent politician with conservative views. He describes himself as a "representative of the patriotic camp." He emphasizes that he has never been part of a political party. He aims to end political conflicts in Poland.
He supports any Polish government that seeks to find and honor Polish victims from historical events. He believes history and social responsibility are very important. His campaign was described as patriotic, pro-Christian, pro-NATO, and supportive of Donald Trump.
Social Issues
Nawrocki is a Catholic and holds culturally conservative views. He supports close ties between the Catholic Church in Poland and the Polish government. He is against legalizing same-sex marriage or civil unions.
He wants to promote Polish patriotism, Christian values, and national independence. He is strongly against removing crosses from state buildings. He has also criticized the Polish education system. He was involved in removing several Red Army monuments in Poland. He considers "cursed soldiers" as national heroes.
He is against the EU's migration policy. He plans to end the EU's migration pact.
Economic Views
Nawrocki's economic ideas are described as supporting government involvement. He strongly supports spending on defense and social programs. He has promised to remove taxes on overtime work. He also wants to focus on large economic projects. These include the Central Communication Port and other major investments.
He supports a welfare state with no VAT (value-added tax) on food. He is against Poland adopting the Euro. He wants to improve train systems in less developed areas. He also proposes an extra tax on people who own three or more apartments, with exceptions for families with children. Other ideas include no tax on savings and higher annual increases for pensions. He believes social benefits should be mainly for Polish citizens.
He is against cuts to healthcare contributions for businesses. He has pledged to protect workers' rights and minimum wages. He also supports keeping the ban on Sunday business activity. He wants to increase funding for public health and agriculture. He supports additional taxes on large online companies. He also wants to expand social housing.
He believes Poland needs to be fully independent in energy. He supports nuclear power as a safe energy source. He has criticized the European Green Deal, saying he supports environmental protection but not at the cost of Polish homes and businesses. He also wants to ensure Poland's food security. He plans to fight "unfair competition" in the Polish economy.
Nawrocki suggested lowering the value-added tax rate from 23% to 22%. He also proposed an exemption from personal income tax for families with two or more children. He promised to veto general tax increases. He sees cryptocurrency as a way for innovation and is against more rules on investments.
Foreign Policy
Karol Nawrocki believes Poland's interest is to push back against Russia. He states that Russia is always trying to expand its influence. He believes Poland's security comes from a strong position in NATO and a close alliance with the United States. He also supports regional alliances like the Bucharest Nine. He wants to increase defense spending and expand the army to 300,000 troops. However, he is against mandatory military training for young men.
Nawrocki opposes the idea of a united European state. He stresses the importance of keeping Polish national identity within the European Union. He has criticized the current Polish government's policy towards Germany. He wants to restore a balanced relationship between Poland and Germany. He also demands World War II reparations from Germany for losses during World War II.
He supports ending the Russo-Ukrainian War through a peace agreement. He believes the issue of land should be decided by the European community and Ukraine. Nawrocki is against sending Polish troops to Ukraine. He supports improving relations with Ukraine. However, he opposes Ukraine joining NATO or the European Union until Ukraine takes responsibility for historical events involving Poles.
He has been criticized in Israel for his views on the role of Poles in the Holocaust. Nawrocki stated he would defend Poland against "disgusting attacks" by Holocaust scholars. Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, publicly supported Nawrocki. Nawrocki believes that "there is no state that is a chosen nation to live out its history." He also promised to end the tradition of lighting Hanukkah candles in the presidential palace.
Personal Life
Karol Nawrocki is married to Marta Nawrocka, who was born in 1986. She works for the National Revenue Administration and specializes in controlling the oil industry. They married in 2010 and have two children: a son named Antoni and a daughter named Katarzyna. They also raised Daniel, Marta Nawrocka's son from a previous relationship, whom Karol Nawrocki adopted.
Daniel Nawrocki studies law and is involved in journalism. He has also been a member of the Youth Sports Council and the Youth Council of the City of Gdańsk. In 2024, he ran for a seat on the Gdańsk City Council.
Honours and Awards
| Country | Decoration | Date of issue | |
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 Poland |
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Silver Cross of Merit | 19 October 2021 |
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Bronze Cross of Merit | 4 November 2016 | |
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Pro Patria Medal | 4 August 2018 | |
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Bene Merito honorary distinction | 9 July 2020 | |
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Commemorative Medal of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Establishment of the Border Guard | 29 September 2022 | |
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Pro Bono Poloniae Medal | 4 December 2023 | |
See also
In Spanish: Karol Nawrocki para niños
