Łukasz Gibała defeats Monika Piątkowska in Kraków mayoral runoff

Łukasz Gibała, running as an independent and leading the Kraków dla Mieszkańców association, won the mayoral runoff in Kraków with 161,184 votes, while Monika Piątkowska, backed by Koalicja Obywatelska and PSL, received 98,306 votes. KO politicians admitted that Piątkowska was not the optimal candidate and that they lacked time to find a better alternative. A government minister remarked that the result cannot be extrapolated to the whole country but signals a rejection of the coalition in the city.

Exit poll data showed that roughly 40% of participants favored Gibała, and analysts noted his strong support among the youngest voter groups, a demographic that has been drifting from the coalition for some time. The defeat underscores challenges for the centrist alliance in maintaining urban support.