Campaign In Poland Research Articles

Activism in the era of democratic backsliding: explaining the efficacy of the clean-air campaigns in Poland

ABSTRACT Recent scholarship on popular mobilization and activism in Central and East Europe suggests a shift from institutionalized civil society organizations towards grassroots mobilization. Whilst the emergence of such citizen-led activism across the region can be traced back to the anti-neoliberal urban movements that arose in the 2010s in the immediate post EU-accession period, the so-called “illiberal turn” and the legal restrictions placed on formal civil society organizations by radical right and conservative politicians have arguably exacerbated the shift and momentum. In Poland, the reaction of political elites to air pollution activism and the apparent responsiveness of policymakers is particularly puzzling given the “green conservatism” bordering on “environmental nativism” of the Law and Justice government (2015-2023). Building on semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 policymakers and activists involved in the clean air campaign in Poland, we contend that their success in terms of increased public awareness and positive government response is a consequence of the concurrence of (i) a particular (health) framing of air pollution, (ii) the devolution of power and responsibility for managing air quality to regional government, (iii) the circulation of new information and data, and (iv) the emergence of new actors and activist strategies.

Political Communication on Social Media During Poland’s 2020 Presidential Campaign

Proper political communication is one of the most crucial areas of activity for political actors and organizations. The processes of political communication have been constantly evolving for years, however, the greatest dynamics is associated with the emergence of the Internet and, in particular, some of the most important channels of communication belonging to the Web 2.0, i.e. social media, which enable the performance of all strategic functions of political communication. The article is an attempt to present political communication in social networks on the basis of the recent 2020 presidential campaign in Poland.

Polish campaign A.V. Suvorov 1794: truth and myths

The legendary personality of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov seriously complicates the study of his thoughts and deeds, forcing the scientist to approach the analysis of sources especially critically. Nevertheless, an objective look at the development of Suvorov’s thought and actions based on his ideas and beliefs are quite possible. The article shows this using the example of one, relatively short event in the commander’s biography: the Polish campaign of 1794. The author rejects both speculation about Suvorov’s campaign as a punitive expedition, and ideas rooted in Russian historiography about a dashing raid staged by Suvorov on Warsaw with small forces. Reliable sources indicate that the commander’s campaign in Poland was not only undertaken by him with humane goals, but was also carefully organized for a quick victory with the help of a massive army well trained by him along the way. Suvorov's ideas, his instructions to the troops and the dispositions of the main battle for Warsaw were studied using authentic documents and letters from the commander, correlated with the entire complex of sources left by him. The article examines the circumstances of Suvorov's campaign in Poland, his instructions for preparing and training troops for actions in the new campaign, orders for careful treatment of the civilian population. For the first time, the number of troops concentrated by the commander for the assault on Prague, a suburb of Warsaw, was accurately calculated, and the course of the assault on the city by superior forces was examined. Objective data refute both Western and later Russian journalism, which accused Suvorov’s troops of excessive cruelty. The study shows that Suvorov’s entire organization of the actions of the Russian army was aimed at protecting the civilian population of Poland, and Warsaw in particular, from the consequences of the war, and that these actions were successful. The commander managed not only to prevent the destruction of the capital of Poland, but also to save a significant part of the civilian population of Prague.

People or Ideology? Social Conservatism and Intergroup Contact Moderate Heterosexuals’ Responses to a State-sponsored Anti-LGBT Campaign

IntroductionRecent years have witnessed the global rise of illiberal regimes, which built widespread support by initiating hate campaigns against minorities. This research examined a government-led anti-LGBT campaign in Poland and its impact upon attitudes of the wider public.MethodsOur study (N = 2061 heterosexual participants) assessed sexual prejudice (blatant dehumanization and modern homonegativity) and pro- and anti-minority action intentions in two representative surveys, conducted before (fall 2018; N = 821) and after (summer 2019; N = 1240) the beginning of the anti-LGBT campaign.ResultsPrejudice and anti-minority action tendencies increased during the analyzed period. However, there was also an increase in pro-minority action tendencies, demonstrating public resistance. These effects were moderated by respondents’ levels of social conservatism and their prior contact with LGBT people. Low (compared to high) levels of social conservatism reduced (or even reversed) the impact of the state-sponsored anti-LGBT campaign on sexual prejudice, which further translated into pro- and anti-minority collective action intentions. High (compared to low) levels of contact predicted a reduced effect of the campaign on blatant dehumanization, which translated into lower anti-minority action tendencies. Blatant dehumanization and modern homonegativity differentially predicted participants’ willingness to engage in pro- and anti-minority collective action, highlighting the importance of taking a more granular approach when predicting action intentions.Policy ImplicationsWe discuss implications for interventions aimed at protecting vulnerable groups in the face of anti-minority rhetoric.

Poland in the face of the 2015 migration crisis

The issue of mass migration to the European Union, although it has been present in the public space for several years, is still topical. Following the population movements in Europe and the massive influx of migrants from the Middle East to the borders of the European Union, the accumulation of which occurred in 2015, a number of phenomena related to the so-called migration crisis have been subject to research analysis. The aim of the considerations undertaken in this case study is to present the way in which Poland’s position towards the EU’s proposals for solving the migration crisis has evolved. A content analysis of the literature on the subject and the legal acts provided an answer to the question of how Poland’s attitude changed after the 2015 parliamentary elections. And what factors underpinned the change of approach regarding the reception of refugees. This study uses mainly theoretical research methods such as analysis, which includes content analysis of the literature and available documents, and statistical studies on the research phenomenon. The analysis of the problem leads to the reflection that the proposal for a solution to the EU migration crisis has divided both the European Community and many other countries. In the face of a crisis, solidarity with the community and responsibility for the security of citizens were at stake. In 2015, this issue aroused a lot of emotion during the ongoing political campaign in Poland and was part of the electoral game. The victorious party and the new government have unequivocally rejected the idea of relocation, confirming that security is their overriding priority.

The Jewish Historical Institute and the 1968 antisemitic campaign in Poland

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the relentless attacks on the Jewish Historical Institute (Żydowski Instytut Historyczny; ŻIH) in Warsaw in 1967–1968 against the background of two narratives. The first narrative, focusing on the murder of Jews during the German occupation by Polish antisemites, was utilized by German revisionists connected with the Göttinger Arbeitskreis in order to assuage German guilt for the Holocaust. It operated in a manipulative manner, selectively choosing and distorting Jewish testimony and combining this with elements of Cold War-style anti-Communism. The second narrative was embraced by the nationalist faction of the Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR) and offered the myth of the Polish nation as heroic saviors of the Jews. It, too, was based on selectively chosen Jewish testimony, with the goal of whitewashing Poles of involvement in antisemitic violence. ŻIH was caught in the middle, forced to defend itself against attacks coming from proponents of both narratives.

Wizerunek medialny kandydatów na urząd Prezydenta RP w kampanii wyborczej 2020 r. Analiza wybranych telewizyjnych serwisów informacyjnych

The article concerns the strategy of creating the image of politicians aspiring to the office of the President of the Republic of Poland through the prism of leading news services. It was assumed that the news may shape the media image of the candidates due to the presented political sympathies and dislikes. The article analyzes the editions of the three most popular news services in Poland, namely „Wiadomości” (TVP), „Wydarzenia” (Polsat) and „Fakty” (TVN). The survey was conducted on the basis of the edition of websites from the period of the presidential campaign in Poland in 2020. The results of the analysis made it possible to notice a number of image differences of the same candidates in the discussed news services and to determine the distribution of accents among individual broadcasters in terms of the audience and potential electorate.

The anti‐LGBTIQ campaign in Poland: The established, the outsiders, and the legal performance of exclusion

AbstractSince Spring 2019, over 90 local communities in Poland adopted resolutions expressing their rejection of “LGBT ideology.” Based on a content analysis of these resolutions, I show how local lawmaking was used in this case to create and reinforce the social division between the heteronormative majority and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer people. In the “anti‐LGBT resolutions,” majoritarian identities are territorialized by way of a construction of moralized social spaces designed to cast out the minority. Drawing on concepts proposed by Norbert Elias and John L. Scotson, I demonstrate the efficiency of law in the performance of exclusion in three dimensions: institutional, symbolic, and proxemic.

Pandemia COVID-19 w strategiach komunikowania w mediach społecznościowych głównych kandydatów w wyborach prezydenckich w Polsce w 2020 roku

The presidential campaign in Poland in 2020 took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the article is to try to answer the question to what extent the pandemic problem was exposed in candidates’ entries in social media. The subject of the research were messages published on Facebook and Twitter. Particular attention was paid to the content disseminated by Andrzej Duda and Rafał Trzaskowski. The main methods used in the research were content analysis and secondary analysis of existing data. The research proved that the candidates became campaigners like the previous ones, clearly emphasizing the important role of reports from direct meetings with voters. The pandemic thread, especially at the end of the campaign, was only incidentally mentioned in the messages.

Air protection policy in the 2019 parliamentary campaign in Poland. An analysis of positions

This article seeks to investigate whether the election committees that won seats in the 2019 parliamentary elections had noted the public concerns about the issue of air not meeting the normative standards, and whether they offered Poles a specific vision of an air protection policy in their election manifestoes. This analysis concerns the proposals of election committees to limit low-stack emissions. Answering the research questions posed: (1) to what extent do election manifestoes address the issue of air pollution in Poland?; (2) are the tools for the implementation of environmental policy as concerns the reduction of low-stack emissions indicated, and can they be effective? leads to the conclusion that the successful election committees noted public concerns about air pollution, and addressed air protection policy to a varied extent, though not always presenting specific solutions to eliminate low-stack emissions To achieve the purpose of the research the methods of source and comparative analysis were used.

CREATIVE RECONSTRUCTIONS OF POLITICAL IMAGERY IN AN INSTAGRAM-BASED ELECTION CAMPAIGN: IMPLICATIONS FOR VISUAL RHETORICAL LITERACY

This article reviews literature on visual rhetoric in political campaigning and synthesizes several strands of current research devoted to the rhetorical potential of communicating with visuals in online environments. It uses rhetorical concepts of identification and manoeuvring, as well as the category of topos, to discuss the implications of an abductive analysis of a coded corpus of 1976 Instagram images posted during 2019 election to the European Parliament campaign in Poland. On this basis, the article offers recommendations related to the awareness of topoi in visual rhetoric to foster users’ creative inventory. In the context of increasingly strategically designed and creative online political communications, scholarship should offer guidance on how to parse images according to how they (mis)represent political reality to fit the purposes of elite communicators, and how to challenge them.

Did Polish Nationwide Catholic Weekly Newspapers Support Andrzej Duda in the Presidential Campaign in 2020? A Case Study

Abstract The aim of the article was to determine the degree of political involvement of the most important representatives of the Polish Catholic press, i.e. “Gość Niedzielny”, “Niedziela”, “Idziemy”, and “Przewodnik Katolicki” in the 2020 presidential campaign in Poland. The periodicals took into account the important context of the campaign, i.e. the coronavirus pandemic, the lockdown and its social and political consequences, as well as the problem of polarisation of the Polish political scene. “Gość Niedzielny”, “Niedziela” and “Idziemy” gave clear support to Andrzej Duda. The political involvement of the above press titles should be assessed as going beyond Catholic social science. “Przewodnik Katolicki” was the only one to point out both the strengths and weaknesses of the incumbent’s programme and political activity.

Polarisation of Content in Polish News Making, as Exemplified by News Programmes of Licensed Broadcasters and the Public Service Broadcaster

The paper contains a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the news services of the three largest broadcasters and three events essential for the functioning of the state and public life in Poland. The first one was the amendment to the Supreme Court Act of July 2017. The second event was the local elections campaign in Poland (broadcasts aired on the 18th of October 2018, the last but one day of the elections campaign), while the third set of material were the news items on the murder of the Mayor of Gdańsk – Paweł Adamowicz (broadcasts aired on the 15th of January 2019, one day after the tragic event). The analysis focused on the evening news editions by the three most popular broadcasters with the highest viewership, including commercial stations (i.e. TVN’s Fakty and Polsat’s Wydarzenia) and the public broadcaster (i.e. the Polish Television’s Wiadomości). In total, 43 news items of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 6 seconds were analysed. The study has revealed a clear polarisation of news content coming from the licensed broadcasters and the public service broadcaster.

Reframing LGBT rights advocacy in the context of the rule of law backsliding

Adopting the methods of institutional analysis and case law analysis, the paper answers how specific elements of rule of law backsliding impact advocacy for minorities’ rights’ recognition. The phenomenon is analysed in the case of Poland, a state that since 2015 has been experiencing directed erosion on rule of law standards. Between 2018 and 2020, governmental leaders in Poland targeted lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the context of electoral campaigns. The paper discusses long-term legal, political, and social factors contributing to creating an environment where such anti-LGBT campaigns are possible. It further demonstrates that specific elements of rule of law backsliding, such as politically subordinating the Constitutional Tribunal and the office of the Prosecutor General, enable authorities to apply discriminatory legal instruments to limit the targeted minority’s rights and also make resistance to it with legal means more complex. Against this backdrop, the paper argues that human rights defenders’ immediate responses—private civil lawsuits, artistic projects, and monitoring of discriminatory actions of the authorities—were key for drawing domestic and international attention to anti-LGBT campaigns, which later led to the European Union’s institutions concrete actions and an independent Commissioner for Human Rights’ legal actions. Cumulatively, these actions contributed to reversing elements of the anti-LGBT campaign in Poland.

Twitter jako narzędzie zarządzania wizerunkiem

Twitter as an Image Management Tool Twitter is becoming an increasingly popular tool used for political communication, especially in election campaigns. It is also an important element of image creation. Due to its functionalities, it allows for quick, low-cost reaching of recipients. As part of the article, over 130,000 entries from the period of the 2019 European Parliament election campaign in Poland were subject to quantitative analysis. The activity of 397 people running from six national election committees was analyzed. Every second candidate applying for a mandate as an MEP used this service. The article is an attempt to answer whether and to what extent popularity on Twitter translated into the electoral result.

Proposals for Constitutional Changes in the Presidential Election Campaign in Poland in 2020

Proposals for Constitutional Changes in the Presidential Election Campaign in Poland in 2020

Did Polish Bishops Support Andrzej Duda in the Presidential Campaign in 2020? Analysis of Institutional Messages of the Polish Episcopal Conference

The aim of the article is to increase the cognitive value in the area of political communication of Polish bishops during the presidential campaign in Poland in 2020, in particular to answer the question whether the Polish Episcopal Conference supported President Andrzej Duda politically in his candidacy for re-election. The research applied the analysis and synthesis method supplemented with elements of hermeneutics. The Polish Episcopal Conference remained an entity not politically involved at the level of institutional communiqués and did not support any of the candidates applying for the office of President of the Republic of Poland in 2020. The issue for further political and media research remains that of complementary forms of communication of the ecclesial institution and the way of expressing one's own electoral preferences, for example through the Catholic media.

Idea sekularyzmu w polskiej kampanii parlamentarnej 2019 roku

<p>Celem artykułu jest ocena stopnia obecności idei sekularyzmu w programach wyborczych głównych partii politycznych startujących w polskich wyborach parlamentarnych 2019 roku. W artykule przyjęto rozumienie tzw. sekularyzmu politycznego i odniesiono je do instytucji Kościoła rzymskokatolickiego ze względu na kontekst badań, a także na fakt, że katolicy stanowią dominującą część społeczeństwa polskiego i ze względu na doniosłe znaczenie społeczno-polityczne Kościoła katolickiego w Polsce.</p><p>Materiał badawczy stanowiły programy wyborcze partyjnych komitetów wyborczych, jak również przemówienia ich liderów politycznych wygłoszone podczas głównych wyborczych konwencji programowych.</p><p>Artykuł zwiększa wartość poznawczą zagadnienia komunikowania politycznego dotyczącego idei sekularyzmu w okresie kampanii parlamentarnej 2019 r. Badania dowiodły, że religia stała się istotnym czynnikiem dyskursu politycznego w czasie kampanii parlamentarnej w Polsce w 2019 r. Temat dotyczący roli instytucji Kościoła katolickiego w sferze publicznej był jednak podjęty jedynie przez Prawo i Sprawiedliwość oraz Lewicę. Odnotowano wyrazistą dychotomiczność poglądów tychże komitetów wyborczych. PiS wypowiedział się przeciw idei sekularyzmu, zaś Lewica tę ideę wsparła. Konfederacja, PSL oraz KW Koalicja Obywatelska przemilczały w programach wyborczych kwestię idei państwa świeckiego.</p>

A Comparative Analysis of Drinking Water Quality Management Systems in Poland

Purpose: The article aims to present and discuss the results of comparative analysis of applied methods in water treatment processes, and to assess whether they belong to the group of advanced and strategic methods used in the treatment and improvement of drinking water quality. Design/Approach/Methodology: The theoretical part of the article discusses the state of drinking water regions of Poland in terms of its chemical, physical, and biological properties, considering the level of pollution. Next, the drinking water quality management scheme in Poland is presented from the organizational point of view, then, Poland's drinking water quality regulations, both national and EU, have been characterized, as well as a few legal norms and programs supporting the ecological campaign in Poland I drink tap water. In the succeeding part of the article, attention was paid to a detailed analysis of the methods used in Poland in the processes of drinking water treatment and improvement. Findings: Based on the comparative analysis, final conclusions have been drawn up indicating the most effective and ecologically sound methods used in water treatment processes to improve drinking water status in the regions of Poland in such a way that it not only meets legal and environmental standards but is also an essential factor in improving the quality of health, life and economic situation of a given social group. Practical Implications: The article brings a number of valuable information that can be the base material and reference to further research, programs and studies for local governments, practitioners and scientific specialists dealing with issues of improving the quality of drinking water, effective management of water resources, ecology or aspects of environmental protection. Originality/Value: The results of the comparative analysis and theoretical considerations in this article complement the current research in the field of drinking water quality management, and may become a valuable resource of knowledge and a set of specimens that can be useful in developing dissertations in the field of management, environment and ecology.

Academics Know Better (?): Scholars and Politics in Major Opinion Dailies During the 2015 Presidential Campaign in Poland

What is the role of scholars when discussing activities of politicians during an election campaign? The article offers a study of articles and interviews conducted with academics in major opinion dailies Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna in the final weeks of the 2015 presidential campaign in Poland. Pielke’s categories of scientists – Honest Brokers of Policy Alternatives, Pure Scientists, Science Arbiters and Stealth Issue Advocates – are used as a point of departure to ask about the part played by scholars in media, to ‘enlighten’ and admonish readers they deem uninformed about what is good for them, or to serve a role closer to Burawoy’s Public Sociologist, who engages in dialogue with others. I conclude that given the election results, which surprised and disappointed most of these scholars, adopting the latter stance may prove a better strategy in convincing voters about the usefulness of scholarly expertise in their political choices.