Country Case: How is Poland doing?
#10
"We hold our heads high, despite the price we have paid, because freedom is priceless." – Lech Walesa
Hello Friends of Democracy,
In the fifth most populous country in the European Union, Poland, parliamentary elections are due next Sunday, 15 October 2023.
A good time to take a closer look at the state of democracy in Poland.
Quite a few people fear that with a potential third term in office for the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), the fate of democracy would be sealed in Poland.
So, let's ask the experts about the current state and look at Freedom in the World, a yearly survey by the U.S.-based non-governmental organization Freedom House that measures the degree of civil liberties and political rights in every nation worldwide.
These are the key figures of the Poland report 2023:
Poland is classified as a free country with a score of 81 out of 100 points and ranks 76th out of 210 countries. The score has fallen in recent years from 89 in 2017. The report says: "Since taking power in late 2015, the conservative PiS party has enacted measures that increase political influence over state institutions, raising serious concerns about Poland's democratic trajectory."
The government exerts a strong influence on the media. Some years ago, a new media law ended the mandates of the heads of Poland's public television and radio broadcasters and empowered the treasury minister to appoint their successors. A series of dismissals at public media channels followed while a number of managers who expected to be sacked chose to resign.
The lowest score Poland receives for their rule of law. The question "Is there an independent judiciary?" is awarded only one out of a possible four points. The report says: "Since taking power in 2015, PiS has asserted control over the judiciary, passing legislation designed to curb the Constitutional Tribunal's powers and install pro-government judges on its benches.
Summary: Democracy in Poland is clearly on a downward path, but it still seems a long way to become a truly authoritarian state. For comparison, here are some states that are already further down the road:
See you,
Johannes Eber