Poland set to vote for new president as EU looks on nervously

Poland will make a critical decision about the country's future on Sunday.

Almost 30 million people will decide on their new leader when heading to the presidential polls with the looming outcome deeply dividing voters with two overtly different candidates and an inevitable question on what it could all mean for the EU.

Opposition candidate Rafał Trzaskowski is a pro-European centrist and the current mayor of Warsaw. Historian Karol Nawrocki is backed by the Law and Justice (PiS) party and endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump's aides. 

Those living abroad could help sway the vote. Approximately 700,000 Polish citizens live outside of the country including a significant number in the UK and their vote is expected to significantly influence who will win the election. 

The vote is not only important for Poland but also for the European Union, which is facing rising discontent with many of its policies across member states.

Two very different candidates

Trzaskowski advocates for liberal reforms, including easing abortion laws and strengthening ties with the EU.

He has vowed to sign bills on contraception, change social benefits laws, overhaul the constitutional court, and allow same sex marriages for the LGBT community.

Nawrocki, beyond being endorsed by Trump's aides, Hungary's Viktor Orbán, and Romanian presidential candidate George Simion have pledged support, emphasizing traditional values and national sovereignty. 

He has faced scrutiny over alleged past involvement in an organized hooligan fight and a disputed property acquisition, which he denies.

Almost 30 million voters will take part as voting stations open early on Sunday morning and remain until 9pm local time.