The New Politics of Poland: A Case of Post-Traumatic Sovereignty
By (Author) Jaroslaw Kuisz
Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press
28th November 2023
United Kingdom
Tertiary Education
Non Fiction
Nationalism
320.94380905
Hardback
376
Width 138mm, Height 216mm, Spine 22mm
570g
For many observers, the electoral success of Polands populist right-wing party Law and Justice in 2015 came as an unpleasant surprise. Even more shocking was what happened next: Jaroslaw Kaczynskis party started taking over all state institutions. It suppressed the media and launched a controversial reform of the judiciary.
How was this illiberal turn possible after decades of democratic development Has Poland cut itself off from the pro-European path, or is the Law and Justice government a passing episode in the countrys history Written by a leading Polish political commentator, this book traces the countrys transformation over the past thirty years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the government response to the refugee crisis caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine. It also reaches back further into the past, analysing the current situation in terms of a post-traumatic reaction to centuries of statelessness.
Familiarising readers with the latest developments in Europes largest illiberal democracy, The new politics of Poland shines a light on the broader situation in East and Central Europe and offers valuable lessons for other countries experiencing the rise of populist right-wing movements.
Jaroslaw Kuisz is a writer, political analyst and editor-in-chief of the leading Polish political weekly Kultura Liberalna. He is the author of several books and has written for the Guardian, the New York Times and Le Monde.