Poland presidential election: Trump to host Duda
14:48
Donald Trump will receive Poland’s nationalist president who has pushed the country in an increasingly authoritarian direction in the White House next week, giving Andrzej Duda a probable electoral boost just four days before a tightly-contested presidential vote. Duda, who has expressed blatantly anti-gay views recently will be the first foreign politician to visit the US president at the White House since mid-March after a break of a few months as the world dealt with the coronavirus pandemic.
“President Trump and President Duda will discuss further advancing our cooperation on defence, as well as trade, energy, and telecommunications security,” said the White House in a statement.
In reality, the White House visit will be a coveted photo-opportunity and campaign boost for Duda, as he heads into the final strait of a closely fought presidential election. Duda is allied to Poland’s ruling right-wing nationalist and populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which has been accused of eroding democratic norms, judicial independence and human rights in recent years.
