For any country, democratic backsliding can happen suddenly and, seemingly, unpredictably. The case for Poland, however, demonstrates predictors of erosion unseen anywhere else. These unique signs of democratic erosion include near-total media manipulation, the implementation of right-leaning nationalist policies, and a gradual shift from democracy toward autocracy. Poland’s uniqueness also falls among its citizens, however, demonstrating how civilian resistance to democratic erosion may be impactful enough to create democratic resilience.

For a country that still scores relatively high on data charts like Freedom House and Our World in Data, Poland’s political landscape is unconventional in its approaches to dismantling its previously democratic institutions. Citizens of Poland are strikingly aware of the dangers that come along with the Law and Justice (PiS) party’s manipulation of the courts and media, yet find themselves helpless in protesting and speaking out against the far-right ideals of said party. This feeling of civilian disapproval, of course, is not unique to the features of democratic backsliding. What events had to have occurred in a country like Poland that put the nation in a state of susceptibility, and what continues to make Poland’s case specifically distinctive? To find the answer to these questions, we need to start from the beginning to understand the process of “stealth authoritarianism.” 

            Leading up to the end of the Cold War, Poland had proved itself to be an advocate for democracy. Though its first implementations of democratic institutions were challenged by the facing of political and economic instability, and the regression toward anti-democratic tendencies, these same institutions laid the groundwork for what seemed to be the historically successful democratic regime. Over the decades, the nation continuously worked to strengthen its democratic ideals, which eventually allowed for the country to hit a progressive and forward-looking landmark – gaining membership to the EU in 2004. It was up until the 2015 election when current-day president Andrzej Duda and the PiS were elected into power, that Poland’s backsliding could have been unforeseeable.

 Duda’s near-immediate control of the judiciary and removal of oppositional judges marks the first warning sign of what was to come in the nation’s future. In November 2015, the PiS began implementing strong judicial reforms that were designed to not only deconstruct one of the only check-and-balance systems in Poland’s government but deliberately violate laws set in place to avoid doing so. These reforms, along with the direct discrediting of the party’s opposition through both policy and media, are what allowed the PiS to damage Poland’s impressive democracy streak. The PiS has also been associated with so-called “nationalist”, mainly anti-immigrant, policies that have been key components of the party’s platform and identity. The party refused to comply with the EU’s refugee quotas, centered political (namely electoral) propaganda around anti-immigrant rhetoric, and generally opposes multi-culturalism – positioning the nation perfectly for both domestic and international backlash. These once-subtle authoritarian efforts are hardly subtle anymore and serve as a demonstration of how easily countries can begin to backslide from democracy. 

Polarization across Poland, heightened by the manipulation of media and propaganda, is yet another key component to the deterioration of democracy within the nation. Distinct political divides in the media are common and create echo chambers that present biased information to viewers who already have pre-existing anti-democratic values. The PiS’s exertion of control over the media is used to both promote their illiberal democratic views, as well as humiliate and destroy the reputations of opposing political actors. Gaining control of media watchdogs, the PiS was able to intervene with television, radio stations, news agencies, and even new casters themselves. (LINK) Media manipulation is not a newly discovered component of democratic erosion, but the extensive efforts of the PiS to persuade the citizens of Poland so dramatically is unlike any case seen before. This party’s devotion to tearing down the years of democratic progress had been peculiar, and effective. 

In recent months, we have seen hope for opposition parties across the board, as Poland’s PiS party was defeated in December of 2023. Losing around 8.2% approval, the party fell slightly too short – allowing Poland’s opposition party to win after 8 years under the PiS. While the future of Poland and the PiS party is still hard to predict, (LINK) the distinctive endeavors of this right-winged party serve as strong predictors of democratic erosion in other cases. They play an important role in demonstrating how “stealth authoritarianism” can gain momentum rapidly, and beg the question: What will happen to Poland’s political landscape in the future years?