Category: Politics
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Real Target of Lukashenko’s ‘Hybrid Attack’: EU’s Moral Authority
With the help of Poland’s right-wing PIS government, the Belarusian leader Lukashenko engineered a humanitarian crisis on Europe’s doorstep. In doing so, he is successfully eroding the European Union’s remaining claim to moral authority, qualified by its commitment to the indivisibility and universality of human rights. “Let’s call it what it is: this is a…
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The end of Poland’s “Europeanisation” or an opportunity for European federalism?
In Poland’s presidential election, Andrzej Duda, the incumbent with strong ties to the Law and Justice (PiS) party, secured his re-election by a tiny majority of just 1.2% over his liberal rival, Rafał Trzaskowski. Duda’s campaign was an example of a very divisive, culture-war type politics, which amplified existing social divides and created new ones.…
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Who is in Charge? Poland’s Presidential Election Chaos Exposes Power Outside of Commander in Chief’s Office
On Thursday night, the nation tuned in to watch the presidential debate aired on national television in the absurd reality in which neither the audience, nor the candidates themselves yet knew whether the elections would go ahead as planned on May 10, just four days later. In hindsight, the only candidate that must have been…
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Failing to understand diplomacy, perhaps Poland will realise the value of money.
The conservative PiS government has conducted a calculated attack on the rule of law in Poland since it came into power in 2015, securing an overall majority in Sejm, the lower house of Parliament. Its strategies have undermined the integrity of Poland’s democratic institutions, the separation of powers and independence of the media, in effect…
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Amid pandemic outbreak, PiS party in Poland shows no intention of postponing the Presidential elections. Will this be the last straw for polish democracy?
As countries across Europe and the world struggle with the pandemic outbreak of coronavirus, life for many has come to a sudden halt. In these uncertain times Poland finds itself in the run up to the Presidential elections, scheduled to take place on May 10th. Should none of the candidates secure an overall majority, a…
Maria Slominska Fabis 