Genesis of Polish Populism (1945–2023) and its Impact on the Transformation and Support of “Law and Justice”
https://doi.org/10.46272/2587-8476-2024-15-3-138-156
Abstract
The article analyzes the formation of Polish populism at the present stage represented by the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS, Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc) using the theoretical apparatus of neoinstitutionalism, as well as historical and comparative approaches. Both general features of populism and those specific to Eastern Europe are considered. The process of development of ideas, practices and results contributing to the rooting of populist values and a picture of the world in the Polish public consciousness is also studied within the framework of the path dependence concept. The final part describes the essential guidelines, ideology, program and electorate of PiS. The party is compared with its main competitor Civic Platform (PO, Platforma Obywatelska) in terms of its strategy, and specific results of PiS rule are also mentioned. Poland is characterized by weak and unstable connections between voters and parties, which leads to the absence of a stable social base and support for parties and, in turn, leads to their constant fragmentation and high party volatility. Parties in Poland have historically been organizations with the lowest level of public trust. In such a context, parties that can truly attract voters will immediately find themselves in a more advantageous position. One of the most suitable methods is therefore simple, often primitive slogans, intransigence of discourse, aggressive rhetoric, unrealistic promises of universal abundance, sharp opposition to everyone else and the rejection of democratic norms of representation in favor of strong leadership, that is, classic populism.
About the Author
T. E. Mirzadzhanov
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Tamerlan E. Mirzadzhanov, postgraduate student, Department of Comparative Political Science
76, Vernadsky avenue, Moscow, 119454
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Review
For citations:
Mirzadzhanov T.E. Genesis of Polish Populism (1945–2023) and its Impact on the Transformation and Support of “Law and Justice”. Journal of International Analytics. 2024;15(3):138-155. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.46272/2587-8476-2024-15-3-138-156
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