Poles have picked two centre-right candidates with roots in the Solidarity movement for a run-off presidential election on October 23rd.
Partial results of yesterday's election gave free-market enthusiast Donald Tusk 35.8 per cent of the vote, 2.5 points ahead of conservative Lech Kaczynski, but short of the 50 per cent needed to avoid a second round of voting.
Both finished well ahead of 10 other candidates, cementing a swing to the right in Poland after their parties trounced the scandal-tainted ruling left in parliamentary polls last month and are now in talks to form a coalition government.
Polish presidents have a say in defence and foreign policy, but they little direct influence over economic or social policy, limited mainly to vetoing and proposing legislation.
But the vote will determine the balance of power in the next coalition and therefore the scope and speed of reforms that the nation of 38 million people needs to revive growth and curb unemployment. The contenders also see the presidential race as a contest between their parties' programmes.
Markets should be relieved today that reformer Mr Tusk came in ahead of Mr Kaczynski, who campaigned hard on a promise to protect the welfare state in the European Union newcomer.