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.

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.

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;