A vote seen as a test of the power of populist nationalism in Europe was too close to call, with exit polls putting the two contenders neck and neck.

P OLAND’S PRESIDENTIAL election, which pits a centrist liberal against a hard-right nationalist, has been watched closely all across Europe. A liberal win would cement Poland’s newfound influence in the European Union’s mainstream;

The race had Poland on edge since a first round of voting two weeks earlier, revealing deep divisions in the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union.