In a rare display of political enthusiasm, a record number of Polish expatriates in Germany have registered to vote in the country’s presidential election, scheduled for Sunday. According to the Polish Embassy in Berlin, a total of 115,000 Polish citizens have registered to cast their ballots at one of the 54 polling stations across Germany, significantly exceeding the 70,000 who participated in the 2020 presidential election.
The high interest in the election is largely attributed to the tight race between the liberal-conservative candidate, Rafal Trzaskowski and the right-wing, EU-skeptical candidate, Karol Nawrocki, with Trzaskowski holding a narrow lead of 47.4% to Nawrocki’s 46.3%, according to recent polls.
The Polish government has made no provision for absentee voting and eligible voters, including those with dual citizenship, were required to register in advance through the Polish government’s website or in person at a Polish consulate. The majority of registrations, with 48,000 in the Cologne consular district, which covers North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland and 19,000 in the Berlin consular district, demonstrate the strong interest of the Polish community in Germany in the outcome of the election.