Disillusion and frustration: Polish civil society a year after defeating right-wing populist coalition

On September 9, 2024 Elżbieta Korolczuk, SUSTAIN ACTION member, was invited to speak at the conference “Społeczeństwo w działaniu, siła mobilizacji i samoorganizacji (Society in action: the power of mobilization and self-organization)" organized by the Batory Fundation. The aim of the meeting was to present research and share reflections on recent developments in the field of civil society in Poland and abroad in the context of the crisis of democracy and political changes in Europe.  

The majority of the debate was dedicated to the situation in Poland, with many participants openly expressing their concerns about the current developments. In the period between 2016 and 2023 Poland was deemed the fastest authocratizing country in Europe. The right-wing populist Law and Justice coalition introduced a series of reforms, including the changes of the structure of the judiciary, the assumption of full control of the state owned media and the shrinking of civil society space. Newly established institutions such as the National Institute of Freedom, which was tasked with coordinating state’s cooperation with civil society, cooperated with and funded only those non-governmental organizations, which were loyal to the state, simultaneously cutting support for left-oriented, feminist and LGBTQ organizations, as well as those focusing on migrants’ and refugees’ rights. In this challenging environment, many NGOs have become more openly engaged in political activities, including mass demonstrations and protests in 2016 and 2020, when thousands of people took to the streets in Poland to express their views on the proposed changes to the abortion law.

It is clear from research that the electoral defeat of the right-wing coalition in October 2023 would not have been possible without the efforts of civil society actors. A 2024 report published by the Batory Foundation “od oporu do sprawczości. Społeczeństwo obywatelskie w działaniu 2015-2023 (From resistance to agency. Civil society in action 2015-2023)” shows that 27 pro-turnout campaigns launched by civil society organisations and groups successfully persuaded particularly women and the younger generation to exercise their right to vote. Opinion polls cited in the report show that the record turnout (73%) was achieved due to the mass mobilisation: two-thirds of voters saw and were encouraged by these campaigns.

The electoral defeat of the Law and Justice coalition was seen by many as a triumph for liberal democracy and a setback for right-wing populism. Many activists engaged in women's rights, LGBTQ issues, environmental protection and refugee rights were hopeful that the new government would demonstrate a willingness to engage with civil society and listen to the expertise and knowledge of those with significant experience and insight on these issues. It was hoped that the liberal coalition would introduce new standards of cooperation between the state and civil society organizations, and that the latter would finally have a say in political decisions and everyday governance.

It would be fair to say that, a year on from the election, there is a prevailing sense of disillusionment and frustration among civil society actors on the left end of the political spectrum. Despite the best efforts of activists, key issues that they have fought for, such as the right to abortion, marriage equality or at least civil partnerships for non-heterosexual couples, protection of the Polish forests and rivers, and stopping illegal pushbacks of people crossing the Polish-Belarusian border, remain unsolved. Some coalition members have adopted a conservative stance, despite the fact that majority of their electorate does not share it (Tilles 2023). The paralysis has been reinforced by the position of the President, who has aligned with the Law and Justice Party and indicated his intention to veto all significant reforms. It is also of concern that the government does not appear to be willing or able to engage with civil society in a meaningful way.

Despite many declarations, the standards of cooperation between the state and non-governmental organizations have not changed significantly since the right-wing coalition took power (e.g. Czyżewska 2024). The 2024 budget of the National Institute of Freedom to be distributed among civil society organizations is the same as it was in 2019, despite the impact of high inflation and raising labor costs. New regulations, such as the new migration policy proposed by the government in October 2024, are often written without any input from organizations who have first-hand knowledge of working with migrants. The process of social consultations is relatively short and not particularly in-depth, and it seems that the suggestions made by the activists are not always taken into account. In a recent piece published on the NGO.pl portal, Ewa Kulik-Bielińska, representing the Batory Foundation, made the following observation: “If the October 15 coalition does not change its approach and does not open space for genuine cooperation and dialogue with social organizations, with engaged citizens, it will be very difficult to rally civil society once again when the need arises” (Kulik-Bielińska 2024).

The final straw for many activists came in mid-October when the Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, announced publicly that the government plans to "temporarily suspend asylum rights" in case of people who enter Poland via the border with Belarus. This was done on the grounds that such individuals may pose a threat and should be seen as a weapon launched  by Lukashenko and Putin. The securitization of asylum-seekers and migrants from the Middle East and African countries has become increasingly present in the political discourse of the ruling parties over recent years. The campaign of fear targeting migrants and asylum seekers initiated by right-wing politicians in 2015 proved to be quite effective. Between 2015 and 2017, there was a notable decline in the percentage of people who expressed support for migration. While Poland opened its borders to million Ukrainians in the wake of the full-scale war in 2022, popular attitudes towards racialised minorities, especially Muslims, have not undergone a significant positive transformation.

Donald Tusk chose to stroke people’s fears  rather than challenge hatred and prejudice, which reflects a broader trend in the European Union towards a shift away from the democratic values of equality, solidarity and respect for human rights. In the Polish context, this tendency appears to be even more pronounced in the context of the 2025 presidential elections, which the current governmental coalition is determined to win to finish the process of “saving democracy.” Apparently, this goal is to be achieved even at the expense of forgoing democratic rules and values all together.