Poland picks its new president

Bronislaw Komorowski, the candidate of Poland's ruling party, won 53 per cent of the vote in Sunday's presidential election, the final official results showed yesterday.

His rival, right-wing opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, gained 47 per cent.

With parliamentary elections scheduled for late 2011, the Civic Platform party of Mr Komorow-ski and prime minister Donald Tusk must now show the country whether it can tackle major economic problems, including high debt and unemployment.

"Civic Platform! You now have total power," the tabloid Fakt declared on its front page yesterday. "Show what you can do — you have a year!"

Mr Komorowski has pledged to work with the government closely to support its programme of modernising Poland.

The election was held early because president Lech Kaczynski died in April.