If large urban centres are the core constituency of the liberal government of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, then Sunday's presidential election first round showed him struggling against an anti-establishment pushback simmering throughout Europe.

Since winning power back from the hands of his populist rivals a year and a half ago, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has faced one very stubborn roadblock to his plans: the country’s president.

There's a long way to go yet in Poland's presidential election — but Sunday's first round was a good day for candidates on the right and far right and it flashed a big red warning signal for the moderate government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.