Poland’s Democratic Rebirth Pains
Following Poland’s parliamentary election in October, the Law and Justice (PiS) party and its autocratic leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, are relearning the rules of democracy the hard way. While PiS has been marginalized in the newly elected parliament, it has only itself to blame.
WARSAW – In October, Polish voters demonstrated that even extremely unequal elections against authoritarian incumbents can be won. The opposition’s victory, and the country’s subsequent re-democratization, may hold useful lessons for likeminded forces in Hungary, Turkey, and elsewhere.