Irish Examiner view: Poland's narrow vote a threat to the EU

The country's rejection of tolerance is the latest fundamental threat to European stability

Incumbent President Andrzej Duda flashes a victory sign in Pultusk, Poland. Picture: AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski

The re-election, albeit by a very narrow margin, of Andrzej Duda as Poland's president means that country joins America and Britain, others too, in a cohort of bitterly and dangerously divided countries. Those countries are so split that the normal dynamics of democracy - respect, tolerance, and a willingness to compromise - are lost in deepening hostility and cultural conflict.

That Poland's National Electoral Commission said Mr Duda had won 51.2% of the votes shows the polarity of that division. That the vote almost mirrors the Brexit 52/48 vote may not be overly significant but it does underline how tiny electoral margins can lead to huge social change.