Exit polls say that Bronislaw Komorowski (right) has won Poland’s presidential elections - but he is remaining cautious until every vote is counted.

“The big bottle of champagne will have to wait till tomorrow but maybe we can open a small one tonight,” said Komorowski to the Civic Platform party faithful at what has turned into a victory rally after exit polls suggested between a three to seven point win.

Voting in Brussels, photo: K.Skieterska

Referring to the circumstances which brought on this snap presidential election in Poland - after the death of his rival Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s twin brother, Lech, in the Smolensk place crash on April 10 - Komorowski said: “It was a very difficult campaign, which proved, however, that the Polish state, even in the most difficult of moments, has passed the test.”

Since the 2007 general election Bronislaw Komorowski has served as speaker of the lower house of parliament - a key post in Poland - and has been acting president since Lech Kaczynski’s death.

He is a social conservative, who, like his Civic Platform party, is generally liberal on economic policy.

If the exit polls are confirmed by official results then Komorowski will become Poland’s fourth elected president since the fall of communism in 1989, following in the footsteps of Lech Walesa, Aleksander Kwasniewski and Lech Kaczynski. (pg)

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