Did anyone think it would be easy?
#40
The Story
Poland is rebuilding democracy
Explain
The new government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk is trying to reverse some of the policies of its populist predecessor, including the ones that brought conflict with the European Union, such as changes that put Poland's justice system under political control. Also, Tusk's government has moved to take control of the state television, radio and news agency PAP, which the Law and Justice party had turned into tools of aggressive propaganda.
Does it work?
The new government has presented a reform of the body that appoints judges, a step needed for Brussels to release the country's frozen EU funds, but which still requires presidential approval. President Andrzej Duda has joined the rightwing Law and Justice party (PiS) to obstruct Tusk's agenda. Duda has also announced that he plans to again pardon two senior politicians arrested in his presidential palace earlier last week in a case at the centre of a standoff between Poland's new government and its conservative predecessor.
Tell me more
The two politicians are the former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski and his former deputy, Maciej Wasik. They were convicted of abuse of power for actions taken in 2007 when they served in an earlier Law and Justice-led government. Duda pardoned them in 2015. In June 2023, Poland's Supreme Court overturned the pardons and ordered a retrial. Kaminski and Wasik were sentenced last month to two years in prison. Last week, Police arrested them in Duda's presidential palace, where they had received protection. After that, tens of thousands of opposition supporters massed outside Poland's parliament to protest the imprisonment and also against the new government's changes to state media. Former prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski fired up supporters. Addressing crowds in front of the Polish Parliament, Kaczynski said the incoming administration was trying to destroy Poland and subjugate it to Germany.
How To Save Democracy
After eight years of rule by the Law and Justice party, which stacked public media, the courts and state-owned companies with its people, Poland faces a turbulent period coming up. The new opposition is far from accepting its electoral defeat. Fortunately, the new government is built by a strong alliance. Long before the last election took place, their members had decided to work together against authoritarian rule. In the October election, they proved that authoritarian governments can be defeated. They seem willing to do anything not to take this victory away from them.