Poles Name Aleksander Kwaśniewski Best Post-1989 President in New Poll

A recent United Surveys poll reveals that nearly 45 percent of Poles consider Aleksander Kwaśniewski the best post-1989 president, significantly outpacing Lech Kaczyński and Karol Nawrocki.

Aleksander Kwaśniewski Uncontested Leader in National Survey

Aleksander Kwaśniewski remains the undisputed leader in the eyes of Poles when assessing post-1989 presidencies. According to the latest poll conducted by United Surveys for Wirtualna Polska, the former president secured a massive, nearly 45-percent lead over other heads of state. The podium also included Lech Kaczyński and Karol Nawrocki. The survey details how voters from various political camps cast their ballots and whom the supporters of both the ruling party and the opposition selected.

44.7 percent of Poles believe that Aleksander Kwaśniewski has been the best president of Poland after 1989 so far, 14.2 percent indicated Lech Kaczyński, and 12.3 percent chose Karol Nawrocki, as shown by the poll conducted for Wirtualna Polska.

5.3 percent of respondents pointed to Bronisław Komorowski, 2.1 percent to Andrzej Duda, Lech Wałęsa obtained 0.3 percent of the votes, and Wojciech Jaruzelski 0.1 percent. 8.1 percent of respondents stated that none of the previous presidents deserve this title, while 12.9 percent had no opinion on the matter.

Ruling Camp Voters Back Kwaśniewski

76 percent of surveyed individuals supporting the ruling camp indicated Kwaśniewski as the best president, while 9 percent of supporters within this group stated that the title belongs to Komorowski. 1 percent of votes went to Wałęsa and Kaczyński each, the same percentage of government supporters indicated that this title does not belong to any of them, and 12 percent replied that it is hard to say.

Vote Distribution Among Opposition Electorate and Other Voters

Among “opposition voters”—meaning PiS, Partia Razem, Konfederacja, and Konfederacja Korony Polskiej—Kwaśniewski, Kaczyński, and Nawrocki each received 25 percent. 2 percent of supporters in this group consider Komorowski and Duda the best president. 14 percent believe that none of them deserve this title, whereas 7 percent answered that they had no opinion.

In the group of “remaining voters,” 37 percent considered Kwaśniewski the best president, 13 percent Kaczyński, 8 percent Nawrocki, 6 percent Komorowski, and 5 percent Duda. 7 percent of respondents in this group chose the answer “none of them,” while 24 percent have no opinion on the subject.

Preferences of Both Confederation Electorates

Meanwhile, in the electorate of both Confederations, 22 percent of respondents voted for Kwaśniewski and Nawrocki each, 19 percent chose Kaczyński, and 2 percent Duda. 27 percent of respondents in this group replied that this title does not belong to any of them, and 8 percent answered that it is hard to say.

Survey Methodology

The survey commissioned by Wirtualna Polska was carried out by United Surveys by IBRIS between July 24 and 25, 2026, using a mix-mode method combining online interviews conducted on research panels (CAWI) with standardized computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), on a representative nationwide sample of 1,000 adult Poles. (PAP)