From “Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies” by David P. Gushee
Let us now turn to the case of Poland, classified as a “semi-consolidated democracy” in Freedom House’s most recent nations-in-transit report, which gives Poland a current democracy score of 59 out of 100, down from 65 just two years earlier, marking its sixth consecutive year of decline. In the period from 2015 to 2021, under the Law and Justice (PiS) party, Poland clashed frequently with the European Union (EU), other member states, and EU legal bodies, related to Polish government actions found to be in violation of EU laws and human rights standards. The concerns were sufficiently serious that the Eu froze $40 billion in pandemic-recovery funds set aside for Poland, which in turn evoked outraged claims that Poland was being punished arbitrarily and unfairly.
The government, in turn, attempted to score domestic political points out of its conflicts with the EU, with one major official even threatening to withdraw Poland from the EU. If the writing of Polish politician-philosopher Ryszard Legutko is any indication, at least part of the conservative constituency in Poland believes that the EU is importing left-liberalism in the name of liberal democracy, and that submitting to its dictates on cultural matters is what is truly undemocratic.
It should be noted that the major opposition party in Poland, the Civic Platform, which led Poland from 2007 to 2014, is very much a liberal-minded pro-European Union party. The divisions between Civic Platform and Law and Justice, and the people attracted to each, are both very deep and very similar to partisan-ideological divisions in the United States. That itself is very striking because the histories of these two countries are so different. It seems that the left/right religious and ethical divisions we are considering are more significant than national histories, especially in a globalized social media context in which ideas jump borders instantaneously.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the decision of the United States and NATO to resist it by all means short of direct military intervention, has dramatically changed the political situation in Poland, signaling new possibilities for the direction of Polish politics. It has also begun a rapid thaw in relations between Poland and the EU, both of which confront a disturbing set of economic, energy, and security challenges that they need to face together.