Two Decades of Participatory Democracy in Poland

Abstract

Observations of Poland show that the citizens increasingly tend to exercise various forms of direct activity to challenge elites in the public sphere. Despite the relatively low level of participation in elections and nongovernmental organizations, as well as in various forms of protests, there are various groups very visible on the political stage manifesting their dissatisfaction. They can be classified as new social movements. Some of them are focused on a single, specific problem. Results of several studies show that the forms of civic involvement existing in countries with established democratic systems are playing a less significant role in shaping civic society in Poland. Perhaps the mass protests in 1980 and 1989 that led to the fall of the communist system have proven to be an effective way of exerting pressure on the highest echelons of decision makers. However, they now appear to have become a barrier, slowing down the creation of networks and activities typical for the established democracies.