The backsliding of democracy in Europe, especially Eastern Europe is troubling for integrative nature of the European Union (EU). The concept of a greater Europe is now being tested by countries …
Losing the Plot: Democracy is the Solution, not the Problem by Sam Sharman @ Georgia State University
As academics, pundits, and causal observers respond to widespread democratic erosion across the western world, many have argued that to counter democratic erosion, we need less democracy. However, …
Democratic backsliding in the nascent democracy of Poland by Shannon Flores @Yale University
Since the fall of the Polish United Worker’s Party in 1989, Poland has been a model democratic nation. It’s vibrant press, political parties, and free-market economy, combined with its clout as an EU …
Democratic Turmoil Causing Hardship in Poland by Pragathi Guruprasad @ University of California, Los Angeles
For many years, Poland was regarded as the leading pro-democracy nation within Eastern Europe. Its seamless transition from communism was an example for other countries to follow. It soon became the …
Why Polish judicial reforms go too far by Luke Shapiro @ Columbia University
The ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) passed a series of controversial measures to overhaul the country’s judiciary late last year. In response, the European Commission (EC) took the unprecedented …
Poland’s Holocaust Law is the Latest Anti-Democratic Effort by PiS by Matthew Graff @ The University of Pennsylvania
Poland is perhaps the most well-known nation-state undergoing serious democratic erosion, in part because it is Eastern Europe’s strongest economy and seen as a model for other post-Soviet states of …
The Unraveling of the Polish Courts, Another Potential Step Towards Democratic Backsliding by Benjamin Lee @ University of California, Los Angeles
On January 15, 2018, Dariusz Zawistowski, the president of Poland's National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), the body in charge of maintaining the impartiality of Polish courts, resigned from his …
Poland: Eastern Europe’s Trendsetter? by Justin Van Beurden @ University of California, Los Angeles
Once viewed as a source of inspiration for countries transitioning to democracy, Poland now appears as if it is representative of another political trend in Eastern Europe: democratic backsliding. …