External and Intra-party Context of the Transformation of Polish Politics

• In Event: Illiberalism, Secession and Post-Colonialism

Abstract

PiS became increasingly radicalized, and voters considered far-right and traditionalist populism the best choice in the peculiar context of the political space, the spectrum of political forces, voter sentiment, sociocultural demand and attitudes towards institutions. PiS extended the illiberal-democratic and dictatorial intra-party structure to the whole state. PiS transferred its historical narratives, memory politics, mnemonic conflict and populist antagonisms into the whole society. PiS followed the same pattern in international relations. Other political forces, activists and institutions were unable and did not want to prevent this. The state was captured by the party - clientism was established, the courts were subjugated, freedom of the media was reduced, and the system of checks and balances was destroyed. The government's hostile anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ+ policies are accompanied by a brutal police suppression of protests. PiS has sowed feelings of distrust and intolerance in society by pursuing a policy of exclusion and intruding the spheres of education and culture. PiS submits civil society by hindering free and women's social movements and supporting nationalist and homophobic ones. This leads to a reduction of pluralism and consensus, an increase of dogmatization, polarization and marginalization. PiS enhanced the EU crisis by exposing the imperfection and flaws of its control mechanisms. PiS escalated disagreements with Israel, the USA, Germany and Ukraine.

Author

• Tamerlan Mirzadzhanov, Moscow State University