The alteration of the democratic system in Central Europe has sparked multiple studies. Since the first “surprising” electoral outcomes, two currents of thought have emerged. The first focused on the populist discourse and style of leaders and their parties, as tools for seizing power. It emphasized the core of these speeches, pitting elites against the masses: elites being systematically stigmatized while the masses, characterized as “the sovereign people,” were valorized. A second type of reflection followed the structural damage inflicted on democratic system institutions, examining the shift towards an authoritarian regime while maintaining a democratic facade.
Authoritarian power in Central Europe: a genesis
According to Polish-American sociologist Adam Przeworski, in liberal democracies, unfulfilled promises by successive teams have destroyed faith in democratic solutions, generating a kind of social “rage,” chaotic and ready to embrace miracle solutions. “People abandoned by the left turned to populists, who positioned themselves as defenders of their interests, criticizing elites and the effects of capitalist globalization, rejecting minorities, misogyny, and homophobia, […], while the neoliberal leaders in power were fueling economic frustration.” In his research on medium-sized cities, to understand the support for autocratic solutions and leaders, Maciej Gdula demonstrated that the stereotype linking revolt to low levels of education or belonging to a specific social class was false. The populist narrative actually exploits a given situation by accentuating grievances shared by those left behind by liberal transformation. […]
PLAN – Authoritarian power in Central Europe: a genesis – The centrality of the authoritarian leader – Foreign policy missteps – Scandals without impact on PiS electorate – The autocratic global project – Judicial system – Elections – Media – Women’s rights – Changes in administration – Blind spot in reflections on “post-Soviet” authoritarianism: their possible decline – The waning influence of the Church – Social reactions
Georges Mink, holder of the Chair of European Civilization dedicated to the memory of Professor Bronislaw Geremek at the College of Europe, Natolin campus, is a research director emeritus at the Institute of Political Science (ISP-CNRS). He notably published “La Pologne au coeur de l’Europe. De 1914 à nos jours” (Paris, Buchet Chastel, 2015).
