Poland's conservative Law and Justice party, which is trying to regain its momentum after losing power last year, on Sunday chose historian Karol Nawrocki as its candidate for president ahead of next year's election.

Poland's main opposition conservative party, PiS, has named Karol Nawrocki as its candidate for next year's presidential election, hoping he will succeed previous PiS-nominee Andrzej Duda.

Poland’s conservatives have chosen a presidential candidate ahead of an election next year. The opposition Law and Justice party picked a historian who runs a state institute, Karol Nawrocki.

Karol Nawrocki, the head of Poland's state historical institute, speaks to a convention of Poland's conservative Law and Justice party after being tapped to be its candidate for president in an election next year on Nov 24, in Krakow, Poland. (AP)

Poland’s biggest opposition party Law & Justice selected historian Karol Nawrocki to run in next year’s presidential election in a bid to hold on to the role as a counterweight to Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government.

Poland's main opposition party, the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS), picked historian Karol Nawrocki on Sunday as its candidate for next year's presidential election, hoping to hold onto the presidency after losing control of parliament.

By Wojcich Kosc in Warsaw Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski appears poised to meet historian Karol Nawrocki in the run-off vote to elect Poland’s new president next year. Trzaskowski won the primary of his party,