Exams are just around the corner, but they’re not here yet (for most of us)! So why not take a break from revision, sit back, relax, and enjoy reading all the main stories from this week? We’ll take a look at the election in Poland, Iran’s defiance, and the latest in Gaza.
Karol Nawrocki has been elected in Poland as their next president. A historian and supporter of Donald Trump, Nawrocki was perhaps not the candidate expected from outside spectators. His induction into the presidential seat poses a challenge to current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as Nawrocki advocates for traditional values and throws scepticism at the European Union. So what can we expect from his tenure?
Last week we covered Trump’s dealings in the Middle East. This week his progress took a turn for the worse. Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, rejected Washington’s proposal for low-level uranium enrichment, stating the U.S. have “no say” in Iran’s future. Trump has come back more vehemently than ever. But how will this feud be solved? And why are both sides coming in so strongly?
Finally, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has sent the Madleen Gaza on a voyage to deliver aid in the Gaza Strip. Its trip has met challenges from Israel though, as well as being delayed for unexpected reasons. The project demonstrates the challenges delivering humanitarian aid now faces in the region, as well as the hot political climate in the Middle East. So will the boat manage to arrive at its destination?
Poland Elects Conservative Historian as President, Setting Stage for Political Tensions
Isolde Sellin
Poland has made its choice. Conservative historian Karol Nawrocki will be the country’s next president, a decision likely to pose significant challenges for centrist-liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
While liberal candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, supported by Tusk’s Civic Platform party, led by a small margin in the first round, the runoff on 1 June 2025 further exposed the country’s deep political divisions. Nawrocki, the candidate of the Law and Justice party (PiS), secured 50.89 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating Trzaskowski, who received 49.11 percent.
Early in the evening it appeared that Trzaskowski might claim victory, but the tide gradually turned over the course of the night. The razor-thin margin underscored the polarised nature of Polish democracy not only since the PiS–Civic Platform duopoly post‑2015, but in a series of presidential run‑offs going back to the near‑tie between Lech Kaczyński and Donald Tusk in 2005.
Nawrocki’s support mainly comes from the endorsement of the PiS party, which governed Poland until Tusk’s victory in 2024. PiS’s time in power was marked by scepticism towards the European Union and sweeping transformations, particularly of the judicial system, which were widely criticised as undemocratic. This party also drew international condemnation for crackdowns on LGBTQ+ and women’s rights.
After the Liberals won in 2023, they attempted to reverse some of the changes made by PiS. However, then-President Andrzej Duda, a former PiS member, often slowed progress by vetoing legislation.
The election of Nawrocki is expected to make governance more challenging for Tusk’s administration. A self-declared supporter of Donald Trump, Nawrocki’s campaign was characterised by scepticism towards the European Union and an emphasis on reinforcing traditional values.
Poland’s political future is decidedly uncertain. It is likely that the reforms and laws Tusk plans will be blocked by Nawrocki, who, as president, holds veto power. This could also impact EU funding: over €130 billion was previously frozen due to PiS-led judicial reforms that contradicted European law. After Tusk’s election, the funds were unfrozen, however, funds might be withheld again if Tusk fails to reverse PiS’s reforms.
Two days after Nawrocki’s election, Donald Tusk announced a vote of confidence to ensure he still has the support of the parliamentary majority. In a televised statement, he said: “Everyone, including our opponents at home and abroad, should see that we understand the gravity of the moment but will not back down a single step.”
The confidence vote is scheduled for 11 June 2025. Tusk’s coalition, though ideologically diverse, currently holds a parliamentary majority, making it likely he will survive the vote. Nevertheless, the political landscape remains volatile, with potential for increased gridlock between the presidency and the government, and major implications for Poland’s relationship with the European Union.
Iran Says No to the U.S.
Daniel Burns
Two weeks ago, The Oxford Blue discussed how U.S. President Donald Trump’s hardline approach to Iran would likely lead to Khamenei responding with an equally unyielding position in the two countries’ nuclear talks. That idea now seems to be becoming a reality.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised that Tehran will not abandon its uranium enrichment programme, directly contradicting Washington’s proposals. Khamenei said Iran would not wait for the “green light from America” as it pursues its independence, rejecting the dominance Trump seeks on the global stage. Put simply, Khamenei said to America, “you cannot have a say.”
Khamenei’s words come after Trump has threatened to “go in militarily” if Iran do not comply with the U.S.’s demands for an end to their uranium enrichment. When it comes to economic threats, Trump has been firm as he pulled out of the Iran Deal during his first term while ramping up sanctions on Iran. He argued that the agreement from 2015 which reduced Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme did not go far enough.
Nevertheless, despite such strong words and economic aggression, Washington’s proposal to Iran on Saturday included unexpected leeway. In what the U.S. calls a “detailed and acceptable” plan for Iran’s nuclear programme, it determined that low-level uranium enrichment would be allowed, juxtaposing former statements.
However, Khamenei has sent a clear signal as he labelled the U.S. a “bully” and called their behaviour “unwise”. Trump has responded by saying Iran is “slowwalking” and has reaffirmed Iran needs to get rid of its whole uranium enrichment programme, rather than just reducing the amount it enriches.
For Khamenei, it is becoming more difficult to “bow down”, as he puts it, to foreign aggression as Iran becomes more vulnerable. Not only is the U.S. lobbying the Iranian government to abolish its nuclear programme, but Israel has also expressed its willingness to “finish the job” on Iran.
These firm approaches from all sides are making negotiations both precarious and intense. With a sixth round of talks scheduled in the coming days, it remains to be seen whether these words will hinder progress, or whether they are just a façade to give each side the edge.
Attempts to Get Aid to Gaza Escalate
Elana Roberts
The Madleen Gaza flotilla, operated by the activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition, set sail on 1 June 2025. Its mission is to voyage from the Sicilian port of Catania, all the way to Gaza in a “symbolic and powerful effort to deliver [aid]”. This statement from the United Nations (UN) added that “Israel must not interfere with its freedom of navigation, long recognised under international law.”
There are 12 activists onboard the Madleen, including international activist Greta Thunberg and French parliamentarian Rima Hassan. Speaking to the Middle East Eye, Thunberg said: “When our governments are failing us… then it falls on us to step up and be the adults in the room.” The ship is carrying humanitarian aid including medical supplies, products for women and young children, water desalination kits, and food.
Despite the mission’s peaceful nature, Israel has reportedly stated that the Madleen will not be granted safe passage. They say disobeying the orders of the Israeli military could lead to the ship being seized. Furthermore, on the nights of Tuesday and Wednesday, activists on board the Madleen reported drones hovering over the ship. Although the drones have not yet taken action, their presence is seen as a clear deterrent against the ship’s journey. It is still unclear which country they come from.
This is not the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s first attempt to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza. On 29 April, the Conscience set sail from Bizerte, Tunisia, with the aim of bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza after nearly two months into the blockade. However, on 2 May, its mission was obstructed after it caught fire and issued an SOS call off the coast of Malta.
Those on the ship claimed that the fire was the result of a drone strike, which severely damaged the generators. Just days before the attack, the Israeli government had reportedly urged the Maltese government to deny entry to the humanitarian ship. Conscience was en route to Malta when it was damaged, where it had planned to stop over in a port to pick up more supplies and 60 activists.
İsmail Songür, the president of the Mavi Marmara Association, was onboard the Conscience at the time of the fire. The Mavi Marmara was a ship in a flotilla attempting to bring aid to Gaza in 2010, which was raided by Israeli forces and left 10 people dead. In a video shared online, Songür alleged that Israel was responsible for attacking the ship with drones. Israel has not yet commented on this accusation.
On 18 May, Israel announced a partial loosening of the blockade, claiming to have allowed 300 aid trucks into Gaza. However, many national and international bodies around the world do not see this as sufficient. Furthermore, on 4 June, the UN’s Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher described “horrifying scenes” of Palestinians being killed while trying to access the little aid allowed to enter Gaza.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition calls their mission a “refusal to surrender to silence, fear, or complicity”, hoping to advance where the Mavi Marmara, Conscience and other vessels have been unable to.
The Madleen was due to arrive in Gaza on 7 June, but several diversions, such as responding to a refugee boat in crisis, mean its arrival has been delayed by an unknown amount of time. Over 498,000 people have submitted letters of support for the mission, in the hope of putting pressure on the Israeli government to allow the Madleen to deliver aid. Whether the journey will be successful remains to be seen.