Poland to hold presidential elections on May 10
CGTN
File photo via AP

File photo via AP

Poland will hold the first round of its presidential election on May 10, the speaker of parliament announced on Wednesday, and if a second round is needed, it will happen on May 24.

"This year we have very important elections," Elzbieta Witek, the parliamentary speaker, told reporters.

An opinion poll by research firm IBRiS, reported by Polish media, showed that incumbent President Andrzej Duda would have the biggest chance of winning the elections. 

According to the poll, 42 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Duda, compared to 26 percent for Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, the candidate of the Civic Coalition, the largest opposition force. All other candidates who announced their participation in the first round of presidential elections could have below 10 percent of votes.

The numbers indicate that Duda would even have a chance of winning from the first round. If he couldn't, most of the opposition candidates would be likely to back Kidawa-Blonska in the second round, making it a tight race. 

According to the poll, around 58 percent of Poles would be planning to take part in the elections and about 8 percent are still undecided. 

(With input from agencies)