The New Politics of Poland: A Case of Post-Traumatic Sovereignty - Hardcover

by Jaroslaw Kuisz (Author)

This book offers a multi-layered analysis of how and why Poland has changed over the past thirty years and how this is relevant for its recent political crisis.

Back Jacket

The election of populist far-right party Law and Justice in 2015 marked a shocking break in Polish politics. A period of stability was brutally interrupted as Jaroslaw Kaczynski and his allies took over public media and launched a controversial 'reform' of the judiciary.

How was this illiberal turn possible after years of democratic development? Jaroslaw Kuisz, one of Poland's leading liberal thinkers, digs deep into Polish history to propose an original analysis of the crisis. He reveals how centuries of statelessness have left Poles with a 'post-traumatic' attitude to sovereignty, making them wary of powerful foreign blocks, be it the EU, the Soviet Union or present-day Russia. This is a phenomenon populists have proved adept at exploiting.

Providing a brilliant account of Europe's largest illiberal democracy, The new politics of Poland shines a light on the broader situation in East and Central Europe, offering valuable lessons for other countries experiencing the rise of populist right-wing movements.

Author Biography

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.