Voters in Poland go to the polls on Sunday for the first round of the presidential election.

The ballot is not just about whether Rafal Trzaskowski, of the center-right Civic Platform, or the national-conservative Karol Nawrocki, the two front-runners, will become Poland's next president. There is much more at stake in this election.

The outcome of the presidential election will determine whether the pro-European, center-left government led by Donald Tusk can take forward its plans, which have been stymied by President Andrzej Duda since the government was elected about 18 months ago.

Although the Polish head of state does not have as much power as the French or American presidents, he does have much more than the German president, for example, who has a largely representational role.

The Polish president, who is directly elected by the people and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, can veto government bills, has a right to a say in the country's foreign policy and can propose new legislation.

When Tusk's coalition government took power in December 2023 after eight years of national-conservative rule under Jaroslaw Kaczynski's Law and Justice (PiS) party, many Poles had high hopes of swift pro-democracy reform in the country.

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The parties in the new government had promised to restore the rule of law, liberalize abortion legislation and introduce more rights for

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