65 h. ago You say we need more babies, rightwingers? Come back to me after you’ve fought in the trenches of soft play | Emma Beddington

A ghastly coalition of tech bros and religious conservatives is pushing a baby boom. Let’s see how they feel when they’ve dragged a screaming child out of an excrement-fouled ball pitI absolutely cannot fathom the number of populist rightwing politicians and commentators who have looked at the smouldering mess that is the world currently and thought: “I know what this situation demands – more toddlers.” Population-boosting discourse and policies have spread across Europe (Hungary, Poland, Greece, Italy and beyond), while in the US an unholy coalition of tech bros, religious conservatives, blowhard podcasters and the politicians who pander to them have gone loudly pronatalist. JD Vance used his first speech as vice-president to proclaim: “I want more babies in the United States of America”; Elon Musk called declining birthrates “a much bigger risk to civilisation than global warming”; and Trump is considering various procreation-incentivising policies, including a $5,000 “baby bonus”...

Politics

8 d. ago Poland’s presidential election result is a morale boost for Maga forces in Europe | Catherine De Vries

Karol Nawrocki’s win is a blow for prime minister Donald Tusk – and it symbolises a larger battle over the political narrativePolish voters returned to the polls on Sunday for the decisive round of a presidential election whose outcome reverberates far beyond Poland’s borders. The race was a showdown between two candidates who represent the country’s stark political and ideological divide: Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian backed by the far-right opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS), and Rafał Trzaskowski, the liberal and strongly pro-European mayor of Warsaw representing the Civic Platform (PO) party of the prime minister, Donald Tusk. The razor-thin victory for Nawrocki, who secured just over 50% of the vote, is a domestic setback for Tusk, but it also threatens wide and gloomy repercussions within the EU and beyond.Tusk’s return to power as prime minister in 2023, after previously serving from 2007 to 2014, was widely seen as a bid to re-anchor Poland within the Europea...

Politics

8 d. ago Poland presidential election 2025: rightwing candidate Karol Nawrocki wins as Rafał Trzaskowski concedes election – live

Nawrocki’s victory over Warsaw mayor Trzaskowski is a blow to Donald Tusk’s pro-EU Polish governmentNawrocki wins presidential election runoff in blow to TuskAnalysis: Nawrocki win threatens Poland’s standing in EuropePresident of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has said she expects “very good cooperation” to continue between the EU and Poland under the presidency of newly elected Karol Nawrocki.In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she said:I’m confident that the EU will continue its very good cooperation with Poland. We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values. So let us work to ensure the security and prosperity of our common home.I congratulate Karol Nawrocki on his election as Polish President. I believe that under his leadership, Poland will continue to develop its democratic and pro-western orientation and that our countries will continue mutually beneficial cooperation. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Who is Karol Nawrocki? Conservative historian becomes Poland’s next president

The conservative historian won Poland's presidential election after cultivating a tough-guy image during his campaign

Politics

8 d. ago Eurosceptic nationalist Karol Nawrocki elected Poland president in tight election

Karol Nawrocki’s victory deals blow to Donald Tusk’s pro-EU coalition government

Politics

8 d. ago Populist Nawrocki’s triumph threatens Poland’s place at Europe’s top table

Victory of radical-right candidate could seriously destabilise the coalition government of pro-EU prime minister Donald TuskEurope live – latest updatesThe victory margin of the nationalist Karol Nawrocki in Poland’s presidential elections may have been wafer-thin, but it marks a huge upheaval in the country’s political landscape whose impact will be felt not just in Warsaw but across the EU.Backed by the previous ruling conservative Law & Justice (PiS) party and, openly, by Donald Trump’s Maga movement, Nawrocki, a radical-right historian, defeated his liberal rival, the capital’s mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, by 50.89% to 49.11%. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Eurosceptic nationalist Rafal Trzaskowski elected Poland president in tight election

Karol Nawrocki’s victory deals blow to Donald Tusk’s pro-EU coalition government

Politics

9 d. ago Eurosceptic nationalist Nawrocki elected Poland president in tight election

Karol Nawrocki’s victory deals blow to Donald Tusk’s pro-EU coalition government

Politics

1 week ago Presidential vote likely to determine Poland’s place on the EU stage

Close-run race between pro-EU and nationalist candidates pits liberal vision against a radical-right, EU-critical stancePoland’s presidential election runoff could have far-reaching implications for its place in Europe – either cementing the country’s hard-won seat at the EU’s top table, or heralding a return to altogether trickier times.The mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, faces off against the historian Karol Nawrocki on Sunday in a neck-and-neck race, pitting a liberal vision of Poland at the heart of European policymaking against a nationalist, radical-right, EU-critical stance. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Inside Real Betis' history making European run as they look to stun Chelsea

Real Betis have the chance to etch their name in history on Wednesday evening as they travel to Poland for the Europa Conference League final

Politics

1 week ago Meet the scorching hot Europa Conference League final WAGs with Chelsea gunning for glory

Chelsea and Real Betis will go head-to-head in Poland on Wednesday for the Europa Conference League trophy - and Daily Star Sport has a look at the stunning WAGs who could make the trip

Sport

1 week ago Conference League final host Emma Dodds' sports star partner and clash with Steven Gerrard live on air

The presenter is fronting TNT Sports' coverage of the Europa Conference League final in Poland tonight

Sport

1 week ago Chelsea fan left bloodied during violent clashes in Poland before Real Betis final

Chelsea and Real Betis will meet in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday night in Poland but further clashes between their supporters have occurred in Wroclaw

Sport

2 w. ago Mykhailo Mudryk 'will receive medal' if Chelsea win Europa Conference League final

Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk has not played for the club since November of last year but has been spotted in Poland as the Blues prepare for the Europa Conference League in Wroclaw

Sport

2 w. ago Poland presidential debate puts Ukraine and Europe centre stage

Rafał Trzaskowski, from the governing pro-EU coalition, faces Eurosceptic populist rightwing historian Karol Nawrocki ahead of run-offPolish presidential candidates offered different visions of Poland and its relations with Ukraine in a televised debate ahead of next week’s run-off, which remains on a knife-edge.During a head-to-head debate lasting two hours, the centrist Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, from prime minister Donald Tusk’s governing pro-European coalition, faced the Eurosceptic historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the populist rightwing Law and Justice party (PiS). Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago 9 EU countries want a new interpretation of European rights to ease deportations

Leaders of 9 European Union countries say they want a reinterpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights in order to better tackle irregular migration to the continent and effectively increase deportations

Politics

3 w. ago Poland’s presidential candidates seek to broaden appeal on campaign trail after nail

Pro-European centrist Rafał Trzaskowski and historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the populist right, each secured about 30% of the voteSo, here are the official results in Poland after all votes were counted, with the top two candidates in bold going through to the run-off on 1 June.Rafał Trzaskowski 31.36% Karol Nawrocki 29.54% Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Europe elections live: exit polls coming in for crucial contests in Romania, Poland and Portugal

Centrist Nicușor Dan ahead in Romania, neck and neck between two favourites in Poland and centre-right expected to win in PortugalThat’s a higher result for Nicușor Dan than perhaps expected. The turnout clearly plays a role here, too.But these are just exit polls, and they do not seem to account for the crucial diaspora vote. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Poland’s presidential election: What to know about the candidates, issues and likely outcomes

War in neighbouring Ukraine and Russian sabotage across the region are shaping the campaign trail

Politics

3 w. ago Polish election: Tusk party urged to show it is not ‘deceiving women’ on abortion

Five years after near-total ban on abortion, campaigners say Sunday’s elections will be critical to see if promised change happensPoland’s presidential elections are a “historic, groundbreaking” chance for Donald Tusk’s centrist party to show it was not trying to “deceive women” when it promised to change some of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws, campaigners have said.Voters across Poland will head to the polls on Sunday in the first round of the elections to replace Andrzej Duda, the current president who is aligned with the former rightwing government and has veto power over legislation. Continue reading...

Politics