Political Situation In Poland Research Articles

Political transformations in Poland: will a change of government lead to a change of course?

The article examines the consequences of the change of the Polish government, headed by the right-wing Euro-skeptical Law and Justice party, which has led this country since October 2015. The article presents an analysis of the results of the parliamentary elections in Poland, held on October 15, 2023, in which the PiS won a formal victory, which, however failed to form a majority coalition. As a result, the ruling alliance, which received the right to form a government, was made up of the pre-election association of the parties Civic Coalition, which included the Civic Platform parties led by former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Modern, the Greens and the Polish Initiative, the Third Way association, which included the parties Poland 2050, the Polish People's Party, the Center for Poland, and the Union the European Democrats, as well as the union of the Left, consisting of the parties New Left and Left together. The assessment of the activities of the leading Polish political parties over the previous four years is given, the main provisions of the election platforms of the main parties and coalitions that were elected to parliament following these elections are analyzed. To identify the dynamics of changes in the political situation in Poland, a comparative analysis of the results of the leading political parties of this country in the elections of 2019 and 2023 was carried out, as well as their main characteristics. The key differences in the approaches of the country's leading parties to the IpR and the Civic Platform on domestic and foreign policy issues, including their attitude to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, are analyzed. The process of forming a new Polish government and the influence of the country's President Andrzej Duda on it is considered.

Realizacja postanowień Konstytucji Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 17 marca 1921 roku w zakresie wymiaru sprawiedliwości

The article – divided into four sections – is centered around the implementation of the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 17 March 1921 in the area of the administration of justice. The first section discusses the work on a draft constitution carried out between 1917 and 1921, with particular focus on the judiciary. The second analyses the content of the provisions of the Constitution referring to the administration of justice. The third deals with the judicature. In this section, the author discusses the organisation and work of, among others: the State Tribunal, the Supreme Administrative Tribunal, the Competence Tribunal, and courts of common pleas, paying particular attention to the unimplemented norms of the Constitution – mainly the failure to establish administrative courts of different instances with the participation of citizens, and the absence of citizens serving as justices of the peace or jurors. Two issues played important roles in the implementation of constitutional norms regarding the administration of justice. The first was the political situation in Poland after the 1926 May Coup. The second was the amendments to the Constitution introduced in connection with the entry into force of the 1926 “August Amendment”, that gave the President of the Republic of Poland the power to promulgate ordinances having the legal effect of legislative acts. This allowed the Polish government of that time to carry out, to a great extent, a standardisation of the courts of common pleas, which was accomplished by promulgation of the Ordinance of the President of the Republic of Poland of 6 February 1928 – the Act on the Organisation of Courts of Common Pleas. Additionally, between 1929 and 1932 the government embarked on an extensive program of dismissing existing judges and appointing new ones. Importantly, this was accompanied by a change in the line of jurisprudence of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Tribunal, according to which courts lost their authority to examine the constitutionality of ordinances promulgated by the President of the Republic of Poland. In the final section of the article – the summary – the author notes that the implementation of the norms of the Constitution concerning the administration of justice was, to a great extent, non-existent, given the political situation after the May Coup. It further points out that the same was also true in the period between 1944 and 1952, during which the basic principles of the Constitution of 17 March 1921 applied.

Konserwatywna konceptualizacja. O wczesnej twórczości Szczepana Twardocha

Conservative conceptualization. On the early works of Szczepan Twardoch The article attempts to synthesize the conservative views of Szczepan Twardoch from the early period of his work and to present their sources as well as the reasons for the later, radical change. The writer was inspired by conservative thinkers during his studies, mainly in the context of the French Revolution history. Under their influence, he began to contest development direction of the European civilization. His works from this period contain themes of the end of civilization, the fall of Christianity, and the struggle to preserve the cultural status quo. He also referenced the current political situation in Poland and the writers and philosophers representing a similar line of thought, primarily Joseph de Maistre and Ernst Junger. Intellectual maturing and the related aversion to dogmatism caused him to reject conservative views.

Consumers’ Social Responsibility in the Process of Energy Consumption—The Case of Poland

Although European energy policy supports the reduction of energy consumption, the current economic and political situation in Poland and uncertainty related to the origin of energy sources do not support it. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to identify and assess the factors that affect the energy-saving behaviour of Polish consumers in the process of energy consumption. The research problem concerns the specificity of behaviours that are part of new trends in consumption, such as greening and the ethical dimension of consumption. The research question arises as to what the social responsibility of consumers is in the process of energy consumption. The research problem comes down to the question of factors that determine the behaviour of an individual consumer in the energy market. In order to realise the indicated purpose of the article, a conceptual research model was built and direct research was conducted using the research method, which was an online survey (CAWI). The research was run among 1422 individual consumers. After verifying 14 research hypotheses, it can be concluded that energy-saving behaviour is influenced in similar ways by a set of factors. In the paper there are findings which show that the generally understood energy-saving behaviour (Y1—at home and Y2—off-site) is influenced by the following factors: X1—energy-saving knowledge, X3—green consumer values, X5—social influence, X6—beliefs, and X7—consumer awareness. The specific mechanism of influence of each of the dominant factors is that the higher the intensity of these factors in consumer behaviour, the more actions are taken to save energy inside or outside the home. However, X2—energy-saving cost perception and X4—materialism presents this influence mechanism only for Y1—energy-saving behaviour at home.

Swimming in the Dark

Swimming in the Dark

RECOGNITION OF AUTOCEPHALITY FROM THE MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN POLAND IN 1948.

The article analyses the situation in Polish Orthodox Church after the Second World War. Particular attention is paid by the author to the issues of the canonical and legal status of the Polish Orthodox Church, its relations with the Moscow Patriarchate and the issue of recognition of the autocephaly of the Polish Orthodox Church by the Moscow Patriarchate. This complicated process developed in the complex context of both the internal political situation in Poland during post-war period in 1945-1948 and its relations with the USSR. The situation was seriously complicated by the unwillingness of the Head of the Polish Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Dionisy, to leave the metropolitan see and recognize the non-canonical autocephaly of the Polish Orthodox Church in the interwar period. As a result, the “Act of Restoring the Unity of the Polish Orthodox Church with the Russian Orthodox Church and Recognizing Autocephaly”, adopted by the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on June 22, 1948, finally settled the canonical status of the Orthodox Church in Poland.

다큐멘터리를 통해 본 키에슬로프스키 감독의 영화 세계

Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski has directed twenty-one documentaries. His films, which have consistently offered insights into “human” and ontological concerns, began with documentaries. Kieślowski employed his unique ethical sensibility in his move from pure documentary to feature film, and even in his feature films portrays an essential, poignant and detailed portrait of what it means to be “human”. In his early works, Kieślowski explored aspects of ordinary people's lives against the background of the political situation in Poland. In his feature films, he paints a portrait of an essential “human” with whom people can universally sympathize; these are not just stories of Polish people, but of Europe. In this study, the director’s film world is analyzed focusing on three of Kieślowski’s documentary films: Hospital (Szpital), Seven Women of Different Ages (Siedem kobiet w różnym wieku), and Central Station (Dworzec). In particular, by examining the techniques of Kieślowski’s three later documentary films, this study investigates the trajectory of his film world just prior to his shift into feature film. Hospital follows orthopedic surgeons for thirty-two hours through their point-of-view, revealing how they retained their humanity even in the harshest conditions. In Seven Women of Different Ages, the lives of seven ballerinas of different ages are sequentially shown during the course of one week. In Central Station, a surveillance camera, the story of the man behind it, and the ordinary people he watches are captured with the director’s unique, sharp perspective. This study also looks into why Kieślowski felt the need to shift from the documentary genre to feature films, concluding that the director’s will to portray what it means to be “human” could be more freely represented in feature films over documentaries.

Regulacja prawna pomocy społecznej w Polsce w okresie powojennym do 1989 roku

The article’s aim is to examine the legal regulation of social welfare in Poland after World War II up to the year 1989. The article analyzes the legal position of beneficiaries of social welfare benefits in that period. The political situation in Poland after the end of World War II introduced changes in the perception of the pre-war system of social welfare. In the period of the Polish People’s Republic, social welfare was based on an incorrect legal basis and the legal position of beneficiaries of social welfare was not protected by law. Social welfare was transferred to the Ministry of Health and its organizational system was centralized. Such a situation lasted until the Act of 29 November 1990 on Social Welfare was passed. Theoretical and historical methods of legal research were used in this article.

Polska polityka wschodnia w świetle teorii realizmu. Zagrożenia dla bezpieczeństwa państwa polskiego w latach 1989-2014

The main purpose of the article is to present Polish eastern policy as motivated by a threat to state security. It was assumed that it is a continuation of the concepts referred to as „the Jagiellonian idea” and the sources of the threat are located beyond the eastern border of the Republic of Poland. In the conducted analysis, a realistic perspective was used as the one that best characterizes the political situation in Poland’s eastern neighborhood.

Inwestycje austriackie w Polsce przed 1989 rokiem

Austrian investments in Poland developed with varying intensity throughout the 20th century. The Second Austrian Republic exerted a visible influence on the eastern area in terms of entrepreneurship, the intensity of this process, the degree of generated changes and the effects in relation to Poland require clarification. Poland was treated by post-war Austria as an initiator of changes in the region and a partner in the exchange of goods and raw materials. The aim of the article is to assess the impact of Austrian economic stimuli, mainly direct investments, on the political situation in Poland. Their effectiveness is estimated on the basis of specific initiatives undertaken, not only for the sake of the national interest of the republic, but also responsibility for economic and political support for the area of Central and Eastern Europe. An important question remains how the Polish government reacted to the offers made by the Austrian authorities. The adopted hypothesis concerns integration in the region. The Austrians, through cooperation with Poland, sought to strengthen the economic and political position of the neighboring eastern countries.

Dyskretny urok władzy – czyli kilka słów o tym dlaczego ulegamy wpływowi populistów? Perspektywa krytyczna

The book Critical Theory and Authoritarian Populism edited by Jeremiah Morelock was published by University of Westminster Press in 2018. It is not only a recent, but also an extremely up-to-date pu[1]blication due to the subject matter. The 299-page volume is divided into three chapters: “Theories of Authoritarianism”, “Foundations of Authoritarianism”, and “Digital Authoritarianism.” Within each of these, three, or in the case of the first chapter, four sections can be distinguished. Below, I will present the main themes of the book with reference to the political situation in Poland and Europe. From the pedagogical point of view, the developmental and educational implications of the issues discussed seem particularly important.

Polish mathematics education periodicals in times of educational reform after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact

In this paper we present a study of the most important Polish periodicals of the last 30 years that are related to mathematics education. Our research aim was to analyse how the changes in mathematics education that were caused by a new political situation in Poland were reflected in education journals. Journals that shaped Polish mathematics education varied significantly. We analysed both those journals that have a long history and those that arose spontaneously, thus reflecting the mood of this time of great change. Our analysis leads to the conclusion that journals, where the authors are mostly mathematics scientists or university lecturers, turned out to be in different to shifts in the educational system. A characteristic tendency reflecting the mood of times of change was the creation of new magazines, which were to be forums for sharing views on teaching mathematics. It turns out, however, that the journals created after 1990 had quite a short lifespan. Education journals that were directed to teachers for decades constituted a platform for discussion of new ideas and teaching styles, too. They offered a place to exchange opposing views. However, this situation slowly ceased to apply.

Poola intertekstuaalsed meemid COVID pandeemia kohta

The aim of the paper is to show the Polish story of the Covid-19 pandemic as seen through a humorous looking glass. Different stages of coronavirus presence in the media and social discourse have been accompanied by the appearance and development of jokes and memes, which illustrate the rapidly changing pandemic situation. The database consists of over three hundred memes, movies, and comments collected between February and May 2020, during the pandemic humour peak, and come mainly from private WhatsApp and Facebook accounts of the researchers. The humorous material is related to introduced restrictions, changing laws, parliamentary elections, news from other affected countries as well as seasons and festive times – especially Easter – occurring in the same period of time. The universal themes present in the humorous material travelling around the world are complemented by the strictly culturally immersed topics, reflecting the specific social and political situation in Poland. The analysis undertaken in the article focuses on various kinds of mechanisms which involve intertextuality (allusions) as well as complexity of references that function as sources of humour, with special attention being paid to cultural references, for example, films, paintings, references to political life, including those of the life under socialism as well as universal themes, such as animal memes.

The Assessment of Effects of Local Government Elections in Poland in 2018

The territorial government election held in 2018 had significant influence not only on the current situation in Poland but also on the functioning of the country on the international scene. This event was very important for building the future political situation in Poland and it was a kind of prediction before the European Parliament election, the Polish Parliament election and before the Presidential election which are coming in the following years. The results of this election showed not only what can happen but also how Poland may function in the international environment – the Polish cooperation with other countries in the region and Poland’s functioning in the European Union. The subject of this research is to analyse the territorial government election in Poland in 2018 and to show what kind of changes were done in the Polish electoral law. Also, there are some indications presented how the role of local government should be shaped in the near future. The paper is also discussing some issues related with the way how Poland will function in the future with the focus on international cooperation, especially the cooperation with neighbouring countries and the European Union. The method which was used in this study is the observation method and the analysis of the situation in Poland as well as the analysis of changes in the electoral law in Poland. The aim of this paper is to show what changes should take place in the near future in the role and shape of territorial governments in Poland on different levels seeking to improve the functioning of these very important bodies of the political system in Poland.

Z korespondencji naukowców: Stefan Morawski i Roman Ingarden

From the Correspondence of Scientists: Stefan Morawski and Roman Ingarden The article is a scientific overview of the preserved correspondence of Stefan Morawski and Roman Witold Ingarden from 1961 to 1969. The 1960s were a period of important events and changes in both the lives of Ingarden and Morawski. In both cases, the background was the political situation in Poland, of which – in a certain sense – both philosophers became victims. Although their attitude and political commitment differed – Ingarden remained indifferent to politics, unlike Morawski, who belonged to the party – it turned out that both of them suffered harassment from state officials. In addition to discussing scientific issues, the letters of both philosophers contain a lot of information on current and important issues for them directly, and indirectly for the Polish scientific community of that time. Therefore, the article discusses publishing issues, organizational and scientific matters related to conference trips, and scientific issues related to the reviews of master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral dissertations. The historical background and private fate of both philosophers were also taken into account, which is not insignificant for their scientific work and mutual relations.

Prymas Stefan Wyszyński wobec pozornej normalizacji relacji państwo–Kościół pierwszych lat rządów Edwarda Gierka (1971-1974)

Primate Stefan Wyszyński’s Attitude towards the Apparent Normalization of State-church Relations in the First Years of Edward Gierek’s Rule (1971-1974)
 The article describes primate Wyszyński’s view on the political situation in the Polish People’s Republic during the period of 1971-1974. It contains his attitude to the political system, communist ideology, and negotiations between the Holy See and the government of the Polish People’s Republic. Primate Wyszyński was a political visionary, who had a very realistic view on the political situation in Poland. It was visible in his relation to the normalization, which the authorities declared in the first part of Edward Gierek’s decade.

THE RUSSIAN PLANS OF STRENGTHENING OF THE POLISH-LITHUANIAN COMMONWEALTH IN 1746: POLISH MISSION OF M. LIEWEN AND M.N. VOLKONSKY

In 1746 in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the next seym (parliament) on which the Polish Royal Court decided to pass the decision on increase in the Polish army limited during Great Northern war had to be called. Strengthening of Prussia was one of the main reasons of emergence of this plan. It threatened with power annexation of the western Polish territories by Berlin. In St. Petersburg where Elizabeth Petrovna’s government was also anxious with growth of power of Prussia, decided to support the Polish plans and to turn Poland into the ally of Russia in anti-Prussian fi ght. For training of the Polish magnates and to clarifi cation of opportunities of the organization of the pro-Russian party, the Russian emissaries M. Liewen and M.N. Volkonsky were sent to Poland. On return to Russia emissaries reported that, despite fears of Prussia, Poles are not ready to take any steps provoking it, including increase in army. Also emissaries presented candidacies of the magnates capable to be active supporters of Russia. From now on the Russian Court, having refused the idea of strengthening of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, did not lose sight of an internal political situation in Poland any more and supported the infl uential group of princes Czartoryski’s which was guided by rapprochement with Russia.

The searching for common political dialogue: visits of UVO representatives in Kaunas (1923–1928)

The aim of the article is to analyze the common political dialogue between UVO and Republic of Lithuania politics. The main reason that began the relationship between the Lithuanian establishment and UVO was Lithuanian-Polish conflict over the Vilnius region. Ukrainians and Lithuanians were not satisfied with the orientation towards the Entente states, the geopolitical situation and the value of the lost territory in search of allies. Members belonging to the UVO staged attacks, assaults and sabotage campaigns against the highest Polish state officials. As a result, the Polish secret services began to persecute the organization led by Y. Konovalets. UVO was unable to relocate the organization’s structures to the annexed territories of western Ukraine, colonel Y. Konovalets appealed to Lithuania, which were confronted with Poland – in the hope of receiving help. In Kaunas, one of the representative offices of the organization, code-named Leniwka, otherwise known as the Lithuanian-Ukrainian Society, was formed from Lithuanian intellectuals and politicians together with UVO member Ivan Revjuk. Without Prague and Berlin, Kaunas became an important center for preparing fictitious documents for UVO representatives’ travels to other countries, preparing an uprising in the annexed Ukrainian, Belarusian and Lithuanian territories of Poland, and exchanging information on the political situation in Poland after intelligence operations.

Korespondencja arcybiskupa ormiańskokatolickiego Józefa Teodorowicza z prymasem Polski kardynałem Augustem Hlondem z lat 1924-1938

The Correspondence between the Armenian Catholic Archbishop Józef Teodorowicz and the Polish Primate Cardinal August Hlond in the years 1924-1938 Cardinal August Hlond (1881-1948) and Archbishop Józef Teodorowicz (1864-1938) are notable representatives of the Polish Episcopate of the first half of the 20th century. They were men of extraordinary abilities, spiritual and intellectual values and organizational skills. As devout shepherds and great patriots, they took an active part in public life. Their letters, which constitute the main subject of this edit, illustrate the comprehensive and multi-layered involvement of both hierarchs in the area of Church and state, as well as their intense mutual cooperation. The article raises a number of issues, mainly concerning the problems of the Catholic Church in Poland at that time, i.e. the establishment of the Catholic News Agency, the work to create the facilities of the Catholic Action and their activities, the Catholic press in Poland, religious ceremonies, the education reform, catechisation, religious congregations, and the work of the episcopacy: the agenda, pastoral letters, activities of individual committees, etc. In addition, the letters provide information on the position of the two hierarchs on the parliamentary elections and the political situation in Poland, and also on the dispute between Archbishop Teodorowicz and the Jesuit Paweł Siwek about the Catholic mystic Therese Neumann of Konnersreuth.

Legal and tax aspects of reprivatization

Publikacja poświęcona jest reprywatyzacji mienia osób fizycznych i procesom związanym z jej przeprowadzeniem. Opierając się na zagadnieniach prawnych i podatkowych, a także sytuacji politycznej Polski, autorka pragnie przybliżyć skutki reprywatyzacji w Polsce, nie tylko w wymiarze jednostokowym, czyli jak jej przeprowadzenie działa na pojedynczych obywateli, ale także jaki skutek odniesie w stosunku do całej gospodarki. Główną rolę w pracy odgrywają nieruchomości warszawskie. Zaznaczyć jednak trzeba, że problem dotyka nie tylko stolicy, ale ma charakter ogólnokrajowy. Oparcie się w tekście na przykładzie warszawskich kamienic ma za zadanie jedynie lepsze zobrazowanie problemu. Zrozumienie reprywatyzacji, jej istoty, celów oraz skutków jest podstawowym zagadnieniem w budowaniu nowej gospodarki. Zależność tę zdają się rozumieć zarówno publicyści, jak i politycy, którzy szczególnie w ostatnim czasie podejmują działania mające na celu stworzenie nowych regulacji prawnych.