Update: Polish Politics and Energy Security

The first round of Polish presidential elections concluded on Sunday, with centrist candidate Bronisław Komorowski winning over his conservative rival Jarosław Kaczyński.

The failure of either candidate to win an overall majority will lead to a run-off election on July 4th.

Komorowski’s success reflects the popularity of his backer, prime minister Donald Tusk.  Poland’s president has a symbolic role, but is in the position to veto government bills.

Komorowski has questioned the development of shale gas projects in Poland, the success of which would make the country less dependent on Russian imports.

He incorrectly stated that the production of shale gas would resemble the extraction of brown coal. It would mean using open-pit technologies and thereby destroy Poland’s protected landscape areas.

Mr. Komorowski’s remarks outraged his oppenent Mr. Kaczynski, and even raised some eyebrows within his own party. Party colleague Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, was the keynote speaker at an industry conference on shale gas in April, showing cautious optimism and later reportedly advocating in Brussels to make sure the EU’s environmental legislation doesn’t harm the exploration efforts.

Source: Reuters