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Poland Inches Closer to “Illiberal Democracy”

From Constitutional Court reforms that make the judiciary less independent of political power to restrictions on journalists to suppressing of the opposition, Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party is causing a commotion within the European Union (EU). European authorities consistently make their displeasure with the Polish government actions known, but there is very little they can do in practice. Moreover, it is unclear what the state of democracy is in Poland right now – the country can not be labeled authoritarian, but it seems less and less of a liberal democracy.

The Cipher Brief’s Kaitlin Lavinder spoke with Aleksander Smolar, President of the Stefan Batory Foundation in Warsaw, to get his thoughts on current Polish politics. Between 1971 and the end of Communist rule in 1989, Smolar was an active member of the Polish diaspora on behalf of the opposition. 

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