Election Controversy: Smear Campaigns and Accusations Shake Poland's Presidential Race

The Polish presidential election has been engulfed in a heated controversy following allegations of an online ad campaign that targeted rivals of Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. In response to claims that the ads had foreign backing, Facebook's parent company, Meta, rebutted these assertions, insisting the ads originated within Poland.

The cybersecurity agency, NASK, highlighted potential election interference via the ads but did not specify any foreign involvement. This sparked outrage among nationalist candidates in the race, particularly impacting Karol Nawrocki of the Law and Justice party, who accused the Trzaskowski camp of unethical campaign tactics.

With the election looming, the controversy has stirred political tensions. Candidates, including those like Slawomir Mentzen from the far-right Confederation party, remain vocal. Meanwhile, Civic Coalition's Trzaskowski maintains his campaign's compliance with all legal requirements, ahead of Sunday's presidential poll.

(With inputs from agencies.)