Poland
The populist, socially conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party exerted significant political influence over state institutions and damaged Poland’s democratic progress after taking power in 2015 but was defeated by an opposition coalition in the 2023 elections.
Research & Recommendations
Poland
| PR Political Rights | 34 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 48 60 |
Overview
Poland’s democratic institutions took root at the start of its transition from communist rule in 1989. Rapid economic growth and other societal changes have benefited some segments of the population more than others, contributing to a deep divide between liberal, pro-European parties and those purporting to defend national interests and “traditional” Polish Catholic values. The populist, socially conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party exerted significant political influence over state institutions and damaged Poland’s democratic progress after taking power in 2015, but it was defeated by an opposition coalition in the 2023 elections. The new government set out to fulfill its electoral promises by holding its predecessors to account and attempting to repair and strengthen the independence of state institutions.
In countries where democratic forces have come to power after periods of antidemocratic rule, the new governments should pursue an agenda that protects and expands freedoms even as it delivers tangible economic and social benefits to citizens.
These countries must act swiftly to release all political prisoners, build or revitalize democratic institutions, reform police and other security forces, organize and hold competitive multiparty elections, and ensure accountability for past human rights violations.
In countries where there has been significant erosion of political rights and civil liberties, policymakers, legislators, jurists, civic activists, and donor communities should work to strengthen institutional guardrails and norms that serve to constrain elected leaders with antidemocratic or illiberal aims.
Poland
| DEMOCRACY-PERCENTAGE Democracy Percentage | 57.14 100 |
| DEMOCRACY-SCORE Democracy Score | 4.43 7 |
Executive Summary
The year 2023 was a landmark for Polish democracy, concluding in a sea change to the country’s political landscape. After eight years of the Law and Justice (PiS) party dominating Polish government and politics, the country has seen a transfer of power, with the new parliamentary majority assembled by a centrist coalition led by Donald Tusk, the former prime minister and president of the European Council . This tectonic shift was a result of October general elections that featured the highest voter turnout in the history of Polish democracy.
The future of European democracy and security is now inextricably linked to the fate of Ukraine. European Union (EU) and NATO member states must not only invest far more—and more efficiently—in their collective defense, but also provide Ukraine with the assistance it needs to roll back Russian advances and build a durable democracy of its own.
In addition to defending the international order from emboldened autocrats, democratic governments must attend to democratic renewal within Europe, particularly among nascent democracies.
Military aggression from autocracies in the region has underscored the dangers of exclusion from democracy-based organizations like the EU and NATO, galvanizing the political will of policymakers in aspiring member states and generating further public pressure to undertake long-sought democratic reforms.
News and Updates
Featured
Freedom House Perspectives
News Releases & Media Coverage
Country Facts
Basic Facts
Internet Facts
Election Facts
Transnational Repression
